Kidtunes: Putumayo Kids Presents Acoustic Dreamland
From Lucy Kaplansky’s soothing interpretation of Mary Chapin Carpenter’s “Dreamland” through Rick Scott’s lovely “Next Time,” Putumayo Kids Presents Acoustic Dreamland is a collection of gentle, loving songs perfect for naptime, bedtime, and any time a calming influence is needed. With kids in the house, that could be any time.
Remember these lyrics? “You’re my blue sky, you’re my sunny day. Lord, you know it makes me high when you turn your love my way. Turn your love my way, yeah.” It’s the Allman Brothers’ hit love song “Blue Sky,” but on Acoustic Dreamland, Elizabeth Mitchell makes it a comforting lullaby about a parent’s love for a child. And “comforting” is a good word to describe each of the eleven tracks on Putumayo Kids Presents Acoustic Dreamland. Can there be anything better than drifting off to sleep feeling loved?
William Fitzsimmons rendition of James Taylor’s “You Can Close Your Eyes” is another familiar love song that translates well to a parent’s love for a child. It is a beautiful interpretation of an old favorite. Shades of James Taylor’s influence can be heard throughout Putumayo Kids Presents Acoustic Dreamland.
Recorded especially for this collection is Frances England’s lovely, lilting “Here with Me,” another parent-child celebration. Other artists on the album are Victor Johnson (“Everything is Going to Be Alright”), Kesang Marstrand (“In the Land of Dreams”), Mark Erelli (Wilco’s “My Darling”), Rosie Thomas (“Tomorrow”), Daniel Martin Moore (“The Hour of Sleep”), and Hem (“My Father’s Waltz”). Putumayo calls it “An exquisite selection of classic and contemporary acoustic songs for bedtime and relaxation,” and it couldn’t be described better.
I have long been a collector of Putumayo Kids music collections, and Putumayo Kids Presents Acoustic Dreamland is an exquisite addition. It will be released February 22, 2011.
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