KidTunes: An Open Letter to Ben Rudnick & Friends
Dear Ben Mr. Rudnick, Sir:
I am so sorry deserve to be flogged. Your fun fabulous new album, Live in Lexington Under the Copper Beech, has been in my possession for months, and each time I try to listen to it that little alien on the back absconds with it I find it is again misplaced. I swore I would review it in time for its August 30, 2011, release date, but…well, you know what they say about good intentions.
Please extend my apologies to your friends: John Zevos (mandolin, vocals), Arnie Ashford (bass, vocals), Jared Steer (drum kit, percussion), Mark Yacovone (accordion), Robert M. Lee (baritone, tenor saxophone), and backup vocalists Kirsten Gronlund, Gabriella Hakim, and Emily Rudnick, whose contributions to Live in Lexington Under the Copper Beech distinguish it from the current flock of KidTunes as fun for every generation—the perfect album for family get-togethers, whether it’s just suppertime or a multi-generational family reunion.
In addition to the collection of new songs for kids, Live in Lexington Under the Copper Beech includes enduring classics “Skip to My Lou,” “When the Saints Go Marching In,” and “Hava Nagila,” and songs that even the great-grandparents can sing along with: “Jambalaya,” “Hey, Good Lookin’,” “Oh Boy!,” “Big River,” “Mama Don’t ‘Low,” and “Walk of Life.” They even sneak a little “Iko Iko” into the kids’ colors song “I Like Silver, I Like Gold.” This is music that is just plain fun to listen to and defies you to stay in your chair—you’ve got to get up and dance.
Kids are bound to enjoy songs about colors, aliens, animals, dancing, being a kid, space travel, and “Macaroni & Cheese,” all performed with an infectious happiness that being “live” amplifies. Live in Lexington Under the Copper Beech is high-energy entertainment that overflows with joy.
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