Featured: “Vance Gilbert gives title track “Best Friends” [by Kid Pan Alley] a keen perspective, when written as only children can see friendship”

Featured: “Vance Gilbert gives title track “Best Friends” [by Kid Pan Alley] a keen perspective, when written as only children can see friendship”

Nov 5, 2019

“For 20 years, Kid Pan Alley (KPA) has been engaging with school children to make original music of their creation. As founder Paul Reisler explains, “This program keeps children intensely engaged as they work together to write their own song – both music and lyrics.”

Technology is at the forefront in “I Forgot To Charge My Phone Today” featuring Lea Morris. Robbie Schaefer takes lead in the hard rocking “My Shadow Leads a Double Life.” And veteran storyteller Bill Harley discusses the lack of business for a youthful entrepreneur who has a “Sister For Sale.” And it doesn’t take Google Translate to understand the meaning of “La Vida Es Bella,” the closing track with Sonia De Los Santos.

Bossy parents (versus bossy kids) highlights Silly Bus on “Who Decided.” Lisa Loeb contributes her level-headed take on the fanciful “I’ve Got An Apple Pie in My Book Bag.” And Vance Gilbert gives title track “Best Friends” a keen perspective, when written as only children can see friendship.

It’s doubtful that modern children (or even kids from 20 years ago) would understand the “tin pan alley” origin of the name for the Kid Pan Alley project. But the goal remains the same and “Best Friends” delivers another solid collection of kid-friendly, kid-generated, and kid-centric songs from KPA.

“Best Friends” is available from Kid Pan Alley’s page on CDBABY, Amazon, and Apple Music.”

By Jeffrey Cohen

Vance is playing in Philadelphia on November 11th at World Cafe Live at 8pm

Ticket information

Whaling City Sound represents in the Midwest Record- Dave Zinno and Eric Wyatt

Whaling City Sound represents in the Midwest Record- Dave Zinno and Eric Wyatt

Nov 8, 2017

WHALING CITY SOUND
DAVE ZINNO UNISPHERE/River of January:  This is a vastly different set from the kind from back in the day when jazzbos first discovered world beat and began to incorporate it.  Zinno charts a course to a new world with players that can maneuver it with their eyes closed.  Tasty jazz at the core throughout, this is a side of serious adult sitting down listening that really makes the time fly.  Lusciously played throughout, this crew defines another facet of the sound of summer.

ERIC WYATT/Look to the Sky:  A sax man that was kind of adopted by Sonny Rollins after his own father passed, this label debut is loaded with the kind of church basement honking you might expect from a cat given the freedom to chase that muse.  Muscular, angular playing that takes no prisoners and gives no quarter, this hard hitting date will angry up your blood just enough to let you know your heart is still beating righteously.  Tasty throughout.

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