Troubadour Andy Cohen, mixes his own songs for children with fun versions of classic blues, folk and Tin Pan Alley tracks on his album Small But Mighty - Songs For Growing People.
Cohen, who brings half a century of folk-blues and teaching experience to these tunes, is accompanied by the voice of his daughter Moira on a number of tunes.
A self-described “walking, talking folk-blues-roots music encyclopaedia” and now based out of Memphis, Cohen said: “My daughter Moira came up with the title and subtitle - Songs For Growing People - for this CD. I think they capture the intent of the project, which is to talk substantively to kids without talking down to them.
“Now that Moira is grown, she sees the old music as I do, as a thing in itself, and coincidentally, the underlayment to most of what’s available today, of value for its own sake as well as for the history it contains.
“Some of the sillier songs on the CD are ones that I wrote, but all the ‘covers’ are ones I do when I’m playing for kids. Trust me, they get them... My humble opinion is that children gravitate to Old Time Music like it was made up with them in mind.”
Delivered in French with Cohen on accordion, Mon Petit Chien is an original written about Andy’s favourite dog, while Uncle Stinky, a song about personal hygiene, will have you chuckling.
Other highlights include Steve Allen’s Gravy Waltz, Arnoldi’s Happy-Go-Lucky, Joe LaRose’s Mighty In The Kingdom and the self-penned Funnel Cakes.
In their review, The Midwest Record, said: “The old timey bluesman makes a kids record like none you ever heard before.
“Very close in spirit to ones Pete Seeger made a million years ago, he’s road tested this material on his kids and grandkids over the years and you can be sure that tough audience told him which end was up.
“Treating the kids as equals, the young ones will never be the same once they wrap their heads around this hidden gem.”
TRACKS:
Boob-I-Iak
The Brand New Baby
Mon Petit Chien
Uncle Stinky
Happy-Go-Lucky
Chicken
Gravy Waltz
Mighty In The Kingdon
Talin’ Casey
West Coast Blues
Funnel Cakes
Reverend Gary Rag
Planxty Mis Joanna Swan
