NYACK, NY — Award-winning children’s musician and certified music therapist Jeffrey Friedberg has invited some of today’s best performers of Cajun, bluegrass, rockabilly, jazz, Irish, roots, African, Cuban, soul, funk, and folk music to join him in putting together a collection of songs that every child should know. 15 Songs Every Kid Should Know (and will Love!), the first in a projected series of “15 Songs” recordings from Friedberg’s Bossy Frog Productions, is set for release on August 6.
The fifteen classic children’s songs on 15 Songs Every Kid Should Know (and will Love!) form a body of work that seeks to preserve our heterogeneous culture, like an old-time potluck where people come together to show off their distinctive gifts and to relish the contributions of others.
Explains Jeffrey Friedberg, “I wanted to explore the rich treasury of classic children’s songs — those gems that make up our cultural DNA — but in a way that reflects our multicultural society, with Cuban rhythms, African drumming, Irish fiddling, and Cajun accordion playing, along with jazz, rockabilly, bluegrass, rock, folk, funk and soul styles.”
Among the more than 40 musicians who are heard on 15 Songs Every Kid Should Know (and will Love!) are Jon Pousette-Dart (Pousette-Dart Band), jazz trumpet virtuoso Steven Bernstein (best known for his work in The Lounge Lizards, Spanish Fly, and the Millennial Territory Orchestra), renowned Cuban percussionist Mayra Casales, and award-winning children’s musicians The Bossy Frog Band.
15 Songs Every Kid Should Know (and will Love!) takes off with the deep-rooted, soulful quality and compelling rhythmic energy of Adam Falcon’s rendition of “5 Green & Speckled Frogs.” The durable American standard, “Shoo Fly,” gets a load of Cajun spice from The Upsouth Twisters, courtesy of some authentic harmonica and squeezebox accordion playing. Other highlights include the classic country string band authenticity The Bossy Frog Band imparts to “Skip to My Lou” and “She’ll Be Coming ‘Round the Mountain” and a Cuban-Styled “Old McDonald” featuring Mayra Casales (considered to be one of the most gifted and versatile percussionists of her generation).
The 15 Songs Every Kid Should Know (and will Love!) websitecontains a wealth of resources, including guitar lesson videos, song lyrics and chords, music videos from the album’s recording sessions, activity suggestions, and background information about each song that will inspire children, teachers, and families to make music a central part of their lives.
Check out the 15 Songs Every Kid Should Know (and will Love!) website at http://
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