Nursery rhymes have never swung as hard as they do on this new recording from the Doug Beavers Rovira Jazz Orchestra. With dynamic arrangements, vocals by Matt Catingub and Linda Harmon, and a top-flight band of San Francisco and Los Angeles-based musicians, this recording will appeal to young and old alike. Jazz, Baby! was the brainchild of a Bay Area couple who wanted better music for their new baby that they too could enjoy. Composer/arranger/trombonist Doug Beavers ran with the idea, taking his band and arrangements into Skywalker Ranch with the multi-Grammy winning engineer Leslie Ann Jones, for a tight and exciting set of music. Doug is a long-time member of Eddie Palmieri's band who's also appeared with Rosemary Clooney, Giovanni Hidalgo and the Mingus B
"The whole project is first-class because of Beavers' arrangements"
Harvey Siders, Jazztimes
Production
Recorded and Mixed by LESLIE ANN JONES
at Skywalker Sounds, a Lucasfilm LTD Company,
Marin County, CA
assisted by DANN THOMPSON & ROBERT GATLEY
Vocals recorded at Capitol Studios, Hollywood, CA
assisted by AARON WALK
vocal arrangement consulted by BOB SAUL & MATT CATINGUB
GIOVANNI HIDALGO recorded by JHEAN PAUL BRACHO
at Giovanni Hidalgo Studios, Kissimmee, FL
Baby photography by KELLY JARRETT
Cover design by JOHN BISHOP
Reviews
All Music Guide (Scott Yanow)
This project came about when arranger Doug Beavers Rovira was hired to write a series of big band charts of children's songs, recording performances that would be of interest to toddlers and kids. Matt Catingub and Linda Harmon take the enthusiastic vocals on the familiar tunes. The performances are concise (taking into account very short attention ...
JazzTimes (Harvey Siders)
How young is too young when it comes to exposing your youngsters to jazz? According to the producers of this album, a Bay Area couple with a one-year-old daughter, and the arranger, Doug Beavers Rovira, apparently if you can play or sing nursery rhymes to your toddler, you can begin the jazz indoctrination. Enter Matt Catingub and Linda Harmon to s ...
All About Jazz (Jack Bowers)
Doug Beavers Rovira isn't the first bandleader to reach out to the "diminutive demographic," but he may be the first to do so without pretense or condescension. In other words, Rovira doesn't play "down" to toddlers and children, he raises them "up" by clothing nearly a dozen nursery rhymes and songs in clever orchestral arrangements that would ple ...
All About Jazz.com (Jack Bowers)
Doug Beavers Rovira isn't the first bandleader to reach out to the "diminutive demographic," but he may be the first to do so without pretense or condescension. In other words, Rovira doesn't play "down" to toddlers and children, he raises them "up" by clothing nearly a dozen nursery rhymes and songs in clever orchestral arrangements that would ple ...
Jazz Society of Oregon (George Fendel)
Here is your opportunity to bring up baby on some legit jazz with a swingin' band and vocals by Matt Catingub and Linda Harmon. I have two grandkids in Philly and one on the way in L.A., and you may be sure that they'll love receive copies of this delicious disc. Included are swinging versions of kiddy tunes like "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star," "Its ...
Zooglobble (Stefan Sheppard)
All 10 songs here are traditional ("Twinkle Twinkle," "Shortnin' Bread," "Working' On the Railroad"), and the vocals take center stage. If there is any difference it's that the arrangements are stronger, with strong versions of "Twinkle Twinkle" and "Itsy Bitsy Spider" that take full-advantage of a 20+ member big band being two highlights. "She'll ...
kidsmusicthatrocks.blogspot.com (Warren Truitt )
Imagine a Toddler Las Vegas, a Rat Pack of sippy cup totin' hipsters ... I'm pretty sure this would be the music they would be digging! Now, I've said before that if a kids' performer decides to record nursery rhymes or folk tunes, they'd better bring something different to the table. And much like Josh Levine's salsa-fest Josh Levine for Kids or R ...
Cadence April-June 2008 (Jerome Wilson)
Following the idea that it's never too early to get someone interested in Jazz, "Jazz, Baby!" is another "Jazz for Kids" CD, this one Jazzing up classic nursery rhymes for a big band. This group, led by trombonist Doug Beavers Rovira, doesn't hold back musically. The arrangements quote Machito, Nelson Riddle, and Stan Kenton, and are all old school ...
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