KidTunes: Catchin’ Some Peazzz - Hot Peas ‘n Butter
What do you say to a group whose latest album nearly put you to sleep when you first listened to it? Well…if the group is Hot Peas ‘n Butter and the album is Catchin’ Some Peazzz, you say “Job well done!” for Catchin’ Some Peazzz is the group’s first lullaby collection. It includes some of the most relaxing music ever recorded, yet you’ll want to stay awake for the lyrics. (They're much nicer than the lullaby I used to sing to my infant granddaughter to the tune of “Brahms’ Lullaby”: “Go to sleep, Little creep, You are making me crazy…” There’s more to it, but I think I’ve said enough.)
The principal members of Hot Peas ‘n Butter, Danny Lapidus and Francisco Cotto, were inspired by the many times they put their own children to bed. In fact, “Time to Fly” is an ode to Lapidus’ daughter Lily, and his father sang “In Belgian Rain” to him when he was growing up in Brussels—Dad Lapidus also sings it on Catchin’ Some Peazzz. The first track on the album is a familiar classic given a new arrangement, “Itsy Bitsy Spider,” but that’s not the only classic—“Rock-a-Bye Baby” is also given a new arrangement, reassuring words, and a bit of “Golden Slumbers.” When I saw the list of tracks I thought, “’Rock-a-Bye Baby’? Really? Isn’t that about a baby falling out of a tree?,” but Hot Peas ‘n Butter assures listeners that if baby is pitched out of the tree, Mommy and Daddy will catch, a much needed update.
International rhythms are featured on Catchin’ Some Peazzz reflecting its multicultural members. Other songs are: “Everyday Lullaby,” “Railroad Bill,” “No Worries,” “The Dream Is You,” “The Stars Are Waiting,” “Dream Away,” “Nabiya,” and “Beautiful Dream.”
Catchin’ Some Peazzz was recorded in response to fans’ requests for a lullaby album. Although no one can guarantee that it will put your babies and toddlers to sleep, Lapidus and Cotto suggest that “putting these songs on a loop may be just the ticket to sleepyland, even for the most reluctant young nappers.” It worked for Lapidus’ kids and it could very well work for yours.
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