Description
With a different instrument featured on each song, “Join the Band” is a musical tour de force by award winning musician, Ken Whiteley. This recording has received many accolades including the Parent’s Choice Award, Children’s Music Web Award for the Best Recording for Younger Children, Canadian Folk Music Award for Best Children’s Album 2006 and a 2007 Juno nomination for Children’s Album of the Year.
With 19 songs, most of them original, this master roots musician is at his eclectic best. The musical journey starts with the soca strains of the title overture. From there we explore a cappella singing, gypsy jazz, jump blues, celtic harp, old time banjo, zydeco, several different world musics, rock trombone and a mandolin extravaganza that mixes the music of Vivaldi, Cape Breton and south side Chicago. The song “Leaves”, with exquisite flute playing by Kathryn Moses, has already won a “Song From the Heart” award from the Ontario Council of Folk Festivals for Best Children’s Song .
Joining Ken Whiteley is an impressive list of 31 musicians and singers. They include George Koller and Dennis Pendrith on basses, Bucky Berger on drums, a horn section led by Sarah McElcheran, Lord of the Rings fiddler Anne Lindsay, singers David Wall, the Levy Sisters and Pat Patrick, plus children from the Alan Howard Waldorf School and the Oakwood Collegiate Chamber Orchestra. Ken himself plays twenty different instruments on the recording!
Songs: Join The Band, Five Folks Singing, Mandolin, Peek a Boo, Puch Ka Pee Shee Pie, The Zoo Song, Mostly Water, Throw My Ball, Horsey, Smooth One, Little Bird, Sally Sue, Put One Foot, Les Haricots Sont Pas Sales, Rattling Bog, Peanut Butter, Millie Moonie’s Laundry, Leaves, This Little Light.
Distributed by Merriweather Records.
Ken thanks and acknowledges the financial support of Canada’s private radio broadcasters as well as the Government of Canada through FACTOR, the Canada Music Fund for this project.
