Jazz-A-Ma-Tazz

Hayes Greenfield (Artist), Richie Havens (Performer) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (February 9, 1999)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: © 1998 Baby Music Boom, Inc.
• ASIN: B00000DPZ9
• Also Available in: Audio Cassette
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #494,210 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star

2. Grandfather's Clock

3. Fiddle De-Dee

4. Oh, Susannah

5. Skip to My Lou

6. Animal Fair

7. Blow the Man Down

8. This Old Man

9. Old MacDonald

10. The Muffin Man

11. I've Been Working on the Railroad

12. Sur le Pont d'Avignon

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

With financial and visual help from world-renowned painter (and jazz fan) Roy Lichtenstein, alto-sax player Hayes Greenfield, his fellow musicians, and kid contributors happily transform a handful of nursery rhymes into jazz tunes. All the elements that make jazz what it is are here--spontaneity, color, texture, skewed phrasing, melody, and magic, to name a few. And the kids, who are perhaps more in tune with jazz rudiments than most adults, react with great passion and playfulness in this lively 1998 recording session. Richie Havens adds his distinctive voice to the proceedings, but vocalist Miles Griffith madly steals the show, tearing into "Blow the Man Down" like a man about to be blown down, and breathing new life into the immortal standards "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star," "This Old Man," "The Muffin Man" and others. Ranging from the sublime and beautiful to the madcap and capricious, Griffith is, as the liner notes declare, "a totally up cat"--just like the disc. Delightful and instructive. --Martin Keller

From Parents' Choice®

Nursery rhymes and traditional children's songs get the jazz treatment from some top-line artists, saxophonist and arranger Hayes Greenfield, vocalists gravel-voiced folk/pop artist Richie Havens, Miles Griffith and Lisa Michel, David Berkman on piano, Jay Anderson on bass and several others. A group of young children add their enthusiastic, if not always musical voices to the mix, too. This is no lullaby album, by the way, although it has some quiet moments, most notably the lovely "Fiddle De-Dee" with Lisa Michel's floating, sweet voice, and "Sur Le Pont D'Avignon" with Michel and Charenee Wade. The number one highlight, "Oh, Susanna" is a perfect marriage of Havens' signature, hoarse vocals and Greenfield's softly melancholy sax. The mood is otherwise very lively indeed.

Although "Animal Fair," is undone by a gooey, too-precious vocal-Michel again, in an unfortunate departure from her natural high soprano-the playful music is a blast. So too, are a raucous scat version of "Skip to My Lou" sung by Griffith, for instance, and "I've Been Working on the Railroad," with its martial percussion and audacious brass accompaniment. A 1998 Parents' Choice® Silver Honor.

Reviewed by Lynne Heffley, Parents' Choice® 1998

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Jazz-a-matazz: Music for Parents with Tired Ears, March 17, 2000

By 

Kim A. Kristensen (Mendham, NJ) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Jazz-A-Ma-Tazz (Audio CD)

Picture a Sunday morning with a cup of coffee and great jazz music playing for you and your kids. That's right, kids' music you'll actually like to hear: good jazz music! I first heard this at a birthday party for a two year old where parents were having a bettter time than the kids... the music contributed to the atmosphere. A week later I am here online to buy the same CD for my three- year-old who loves any kind of music. Thank goodness I will gladly listen with her to this one!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars pied piper of jazz, April 1, 2002

By 

Alan B. (New York, New York United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Jazz-A-Ma-Tazz (Audio CD)

Recently, I purchased Hayes Greenfield's Jazz-a-ma-tazz for my 7 year old son. I've since found the CD to be remarkable in its effect on my child and several of his friends. In the 10 days since its purchase, my son has not taken it out of his CD player - he plays it constantly - and - he does this when his friends are here. What I found particularly moving was when, several days ago, I heard him and his two friends scatting along with Mr. Greenfield on his CD. I believe that the children can relate to Mr. Greenfield for several reasons.

First, he possesses the ability to communicate lofty ideas to children in a manner and vocabulary which they not only comprehend, but, respond to with enthusiasm. While watching my son with this CD over the last several days, it occurred to me that the CD had planted a seed of passion for music within him. He is now asking questions about different types of music and, is expressing an active interest in learning an instrument.

Next, the music on the CD is familiar to children - this provides them easy access to the material. However, Mr.Greenfield treats the material in a way which introduces them to the rudiments of jazz. He conveys all of the joy and fun of that music in a way which allows children to experience and participate in it - it allows them to experience the thrill of musical performance.

Finally, the inter-active experience of the CD has helped to wean my son from the television, and, seems to have made him less
interested in its barrage of child targeted advertising. He seems so taken now with music that the messages of mass media have less impact on him.

For these reasons, I would recommend the CD to any parent seeking to introduce his child to the beauty and joys of music.

4.0 out of 5 stars For Jazz Fans With Young Kids, July 11, 2009

By 

Karl W. Nehring (Ostrander, OH USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Jazz-A-Ma-Tazz (Audio CD)

Anyone who can still enjoy watching Sesame Street from time to time should be able to get a kick out of this CD, which aims to get children involved in jazz. There is some fun stuff on this CD, especially the contributions of vocalist Richie Havens. Produced by the late painter Roy Lichtenstein and his wife, Jazz-a-Ma-Tazz takes children's songs such as "Skip to My Lou" and puts them in jazz settings in a manner that kids should be able to enjoy but which is not completely "dumbed down" to the point of banality. Highly recommended to jazz fans with young kids.