Rating:
Genre:
Children
Release Date: 08/08/2006
Culled from two previous records (
Lullabies Go Jazz and
Cool Mother Goose Suite) from sax player
Jon Crosse,
Kind of Blue & Pink presents a number of old
nursery rhymes and
lullabies set to strong
jazz arrangements. While it seems like a basic
novelty album for new parents (along the lines of the
Mozart Effect albums or
Baby Einstein), the arrangements here are surprisingly strong.
Crosse did a fine job putting together a set of performers with a classic nightclub sound, creating music that essentially just happens to have kiddie lyrics. The sound is that of a large ensemble in a small club, or alternately, a mid-sized
big band.
Crosse himself turns in fine performances on a series of saxes, but is also helped by an able rhythm section (
Putter Smith or
Mel Graves on bass,
David Witham on piano,
Paul Kreibich on drums). Moreover, he's got star power helping out.
Carmen McRae recorded all of the vocals for the original releases, giving it a nice vibe. Also,
Freddie Hubbard was enlisted for horn playing in the hotter numbers. The repertoire may be a bit juvenile for most audiences, but the performances are anything but.
~Adam Greenberg, All Music Guide
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