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Thirty five years ago, composer, musician, and educator, Josh Greenberg from Albany, NY, created The Mother Goose Jazz Band. "As a father of three, and as a retired elementary band teacher for over 30 years, I have seen how children instinctively respond to the Blues and to Jazzy rhythms. They move and sing ....their response is uninhibited."
Greenberg and.co-writer/keyboardist, Bill Vitek, (Professor of Philosophy at Clarkson University), have created a body of works that respects this natural spirit of playfulness in children, and through it, they nurture an appreciation for a variety of musical styles. From a Thelonious Monk-inspired "This Little Pig Went To Market," to a Latin version of "This Old Man Came Rolling Home," familiar nursery rhymes are given jazzy arrangements that young children, (ages 2-10), can easily absorb. Their 2002 recording, "See How They Run," features Chris Brubeck on Bass, Laurel Masse (founding member of the Manhattan Transfer) on vocals, Lee Shaw on Piano, Josh Greenberg and Mark Vinci on saxophones, Chuck 0' Aloia on Guitar, and Gene Garone on Drums. This album is easily accessible to children, encouraging them to sing and dance, while at the same time bringing pleasure to the adults who will share in the musical experience. Adaptations of nursery rhymes in the style of jazz masters Sonny Rollins ("This Old Man" and "Jack B. Nimble"), Charlie Parker ("Fuzzy Wuzzy") and The Dave Brubeck Quartet ("Peanut Butter Cookies"), bring the rich heritage of jazz to a whole new generation. The Mother Goose Jazz Band has performed at First Night New York City, The International Association of Jazz Educators, The New Jersey Performing Arts Center, Schenectady's Proctor's Theatre, The Albany Tulip Festival, Guilderland Performing Arts Center, and numerous school, libraries, museums, and family concerts. The Mother Goose Jazz Band was awarded The Times Union's "Best of the Capital Region 2002". Best Band for Kids And Their Parents. Their albums have won awards from The American Library Association, Parent's Guide to Children's Media, Oppenheim Best Audio, Critics' Choice Award from Family Life Magazine, and were Amazon.com's #1 Emerging Artist release for Children's Music and Jazz in 2000. |