Shakin' a Tailfeather

Taj Mahal, Music for Little People, Linda Tillery & The Cultural Heritage Choir, Eric Bibb | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 28, 1997)
• Original Release Date: October 28, 1997
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Music Little People
• ASIN: B00000345N
• Also Available in: Audio Cassette  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #24,406 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Rockin' Robin

2. Willie and the Hand Jive

3. Shortnin' Bread

4. Oh Mary Mack

5. Draw Me a Bucket of Water

6. Shake a Tail Feather

7. Ask Grandma

8. This a Way Valerie

9. Land of 1000 Dances

10. Jim Dandy

11. The Name Game

12. Beans and Corn Bread

13. Loop de Loop

14. Follow the Drinking Gourd

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Taj Mahal shares the focus on this Grammy-nominated collection of traditional children's songs and classic pop-rock tunes with singer Linda Tillery and a full band. Together, the Tailfeather gang provide some rockin' good times. Kids will love the sing-along style of "Shortnin' Bread," "Draw Me a Bucket of Water," "Loop de Loop," and "Mary Mack." Parents might enjoy the band's renditions of "Land of 1,000 Dances," "Rockin' Robin," and "Willie and the Hand Jive." However, fans of Taj Mahal may be disappointed, since there are only occasional forays into the wonderfully delicate kind of blues music that makes his 1988 outing, Shake Sugaree, an exemplary kids collection. --Percy Keegan

From Parents' Choice®

This collection of fifteen full-throated songs is drawn straight out of the heart of African-American music for children. Some selections are playground staples ("Oh Mary Mack," "Little Sally Walker," "The Name Game") while others recombine well-known elements. The title cut, for instance, mixes the "Twist" with "Here We Go Loop de Loo". Still others, Like "Rockin' Robin," are contemporary classics. The final cut, "Follow the Drinking Gourd," is a powerful, somber evocation of all the miles and all the years this music has endured. The voices are richly varied, the backups modulate from jazzy to hymnlike, the rhythms from infectious to gentle: a wholly satisfying album on every level and for every listener. A 1998 Parents' Choice® Gold Award.--This text refers to the audio cd edition of this title.

Reviewed by Kristi Beavin, Parents' Choice® 1998

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Had our 15-month-old twins dancing immediately., October 5, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Shakin' a Tailfeather (Audio CD)

This is a CD that I can actually share with my children -- I was enjoying many of these songs in my own youth. Check out cuts 9-11: "Land of 1000 Dances," "Jim Dandy," and "The Name Game," which is an all-time favorite of mine. Listen also to the deep funk of "Shortnin' Bread." This may be a children's CD, but there's plenty for an adult to enjoy. Just be careful playing "The Name Game" with kids named Chuck or Mitch.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars ONE OF THE BEST CDS I OWN, July 5, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Shakin' a Tailfeather (Audio CD)

AS A PRESCHOOL TEACHER, THIS CD IS ONE OF MY FAVORITES!! THE CHILDREN LOVE TO DANCE AND SING ALONG, AND I ENJOY IT TOO. NOW, IF ONLY I COULD GET THEM TO STOP SHAKIN' A TAILFEATHER WHEN IT'S TIME TO CLEAN UP......

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Fantastic Album For All Ages, September 27, 1998

By A Customer

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Shakin' a Tailfeather (Audio CD)

This is not just a great sing-a-long album for kids, but for the whole family. It features a collection of classic 1950's and 1960's R&B tunes as well as folk rhymes. Included are exuberant renditions of "Land of a 1,000 Dances" (originally recorded by Chris Kenner and later Wilson Pickett), "Willie and the Hand Jive" (originally recorded by Johnny Otis) and a politically correct version of "Miss Mary Mack" called "Oh Mary Mack."

I'm not yet a parent, but I first heard the album when I visited my goddaughter and her parents, when they were living in Los Angeles. You should have seen the smile on that three-year-old's face when that tape was played. Of course, by the time I heard the tape, she knew partically every song by heart. Later, when I found out that the tape had been chewed up in her mother's tape player, I had to get them another copy (this time on CD). I'm also getting one for my nephew, who turns one year-old soon.

Simply put, this is fun album that is a must for anyone who has little children. This is particularly true if you want to sing with them. You will not be bored by this lively recording. This CD beats the current crop of generic children's recordings by a country mile.