Home » Jazz Articles » Multiple Reviews » Jazz for the Preschool Set: Bop Boo Day & Jazzy Fairy Tales

362

Jazz for the Preschool Set: Bop Boo Day & Jazzy Fairy Tales

By

Sign in to view read count








Louise Rogers
Bop Boo Day
RILO Records
2006


Louise Rogers & Rick Strong
Jazzy Fairy Tales
RILO Records
2007


Welcome to Ms. Rogers neighborhood and the freshest approach to jazz education for very young children yet. Accompanied by bassist Rick Strong and a vocal quartet of eight-year olds, Louise Rogers skats her way through a delightful program that succeeds on multiple levels. She recasts three children's classics into magical Jazzy Fairy Tales and introduces the music and personas of Ella, Miles and Bird to the three- to five-year old set on Bop Boo Day.

Strong is aptly named and his emotive up-in-the- mix bass is the only non-vocal instrument (aside from a brief kazoo appearance) on both CDs. He blends so well with Rogers that advanced listeners can lose themselves in the timbres and rhythms that they create. These projects though are ultimately for the kids and a better source of musical materials to introduce preschoolers to jazz can't be had. Bop Boo Day is the more participatory of the two titles with songs performed in a call-and-response style as Rogers sings the lyrics and the kids respond. Songs like "Ella Fitzgerald Sang Bop Boo Day , "Charlie Parker Played Be Bop and the superb recasting of Miles Davis' "So What not only invite participation but can also serve as jumping off points for mini-lessons in jazz history. While Bop Boo Day is primarily about participation, Jazzy Fairy Tales is primarily about listening.

With the assistance of Susan Milligan's storytelling and inventive lyrical reworkings, Strong and Rogers turn fairy tales already familiar to preschoolers into jazzy versions that will delight all ages. They expose the blues, swing and boogie in the Three Little Pigs, The Three Billy Goats Gruff and Goldilocks and The Three Little Bears. Fun stanzas like "Bop Boo Bop, Bop Boo Bay, Piggy feet hop, Piggy feet play , sung with an Andrews Sisters swing in the context of the overall story, and sharp stylistic transitions in each song will make children want to hear them again and again. They will delight in both anticipating the rhythmical changes and in scatting along with the lyrics. These well-known tales retold from a jazzer's perspective are all so good that one bemoans the absence of a supplemental storybook to follow along with, read aloud or present accompanying visuals. Nevertheless, either of these charming CDs will make you want to seek out your closest four year old to give them their first lesson in jazzology.


Tracks and Personnel

Bop Boo Day

Tracks: Crusty Corn Bread; Animal Blues; Ella Fitzgerald Sang Bop Boo Day; Dat Dere; Charlie Parker Played be bop; Now's the Time; So What; A Tisket, A Tasket; I Thought About You; What Did You Have For Breakfast?

Personnel: Louise Rogers: vocals, kazoo; Rick Strong: bass; The Beeboppin' Kids (Kaitlin Cullen-Verhauz, Alexander Tonhazy, Miranda Johnson, Alex Strong): vocals, Henry Ratliff: vocals (9).

Jazzy Fairy Tales

Tracks: The Jazzy Pigs; The Jazzy Goats; The Jazzy Bears.

Personnel: Louise Rogers: vocals; Rick Strong: Bass; Susan Milligan: Storytelling.

Comments

Tags


For the Love of Jazz
Get the Jazz Near You newsletter All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who create it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

You Can Help
To expand our coverage even further and develop new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for a modest $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination will vastly improve your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.
View events near New York City
Jazz Near New York City
Events Guide | Venue Guide | Local Businesses | More...

More

Love Is Passing Thru
Roberto Magris
Candid
Sunny Five
Inside Colours Live
Julie Sassoon

Popular

Eagle's Point
Chris Potter
Light Streams
John Donegan - The Irish Sextet

Get more of a good thing!

Our weekly newsletter highlights our top stories, our special offers, and upcoming jazz events near you.