When I was a child, I remember being given these big books with Porky Pig or Bugs Bunny. Inside was a group of 45 rpm records, which I was supposed to play and listen to while following the story along in the book. These moments are some of my fondest memories, and this cute little cd reminds me of those days of innocence.
What you’ve got here are some jazz all stars telling a child’s story, complete with narration and voices (by David Murray, no less!) and songs. The music features Al Jarreau and Dee Dee Bridgewater on vocals, as well as Hubert Laws on flute for a couple of tracks. You can take the story in complete with narration and music together, or simply imbibe the tunes separately, as they are included a second time without any spoken interruptions. The music stands on its own superbly; nice simple themes, cheery all the way, which is no problem at all. Isn’t this how YOU want young people to get hooked on swing?