Parents' Choice Awards : Audio : Music
I Miss the Mud
Spring 2009 MusicReview:
Dennis Caraher ("Dog Bone Town," "Bow Wow Baby") delivers smiles with quirky humor and sunny charisma, wrapped in an agile musicality that embraces folk, country, old-time rock 'n roll and a cappella vocals. Inventive percussion and a kids' chorus complement a cautionary tale about a pig who hits the big time but yearns for his muddy origins. The a capella charmer, "Little Blue Bug," begins with a little bug stuck in a rug ("I gave him help, I got a little bug hug") and turns into a participatory, repeat-after-me romp. Caraher's inventive, individual voice works equally well in quieter songs that include the yearning "Without You" and an exquisite variation of "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star" ("It was always there to see when I'd feel my father carry me.") Among other singers taking the spotlight are a young girl, Emma Henderson, who performs a heartfelt tribute to mothers ("I Love My Mom"), and adult artist Jill Connolly, whose lullaby-soft "I'll Watch Over You" is accompanied by guitarist Joe Belmont, one of many sterling musicians here.
Lynne Heffley ©2009 Parents' Choice
A long-time Parents' Choice music critic, Lynne was a staff writer for 25 years at the Los Angeles Times where she established and maintained the paper's first weekly children's arts and entertainment beat and was a general arts reporter. Now a freelance writer, Lynne works in the areas of non-profit communications, the arts and family entertainment (specializing in children's theater, music, audio books and book illustration). In her spare time, when she's not reading, Lynne is likely to be found strumming American Songbook standards and Tin Pan Alley novelty songs on one of her seven ukuleles.
Look for this product at:
Bow Wow Productions
http://www.dogbonetown.com
CD Baby
800-448-6369http://www.cdbaby.com
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