I know I’m not the only one who blares the music when they find themselves driving alone in the car. After being perpetually bombarded with a varying assortment of children’s and classical music, those rare occurrences that find me driving solo in my minivan always result in the windows going down as the speaker volume steadily goes up. Suddenly the radio is unrestricted. I can listen to a.n.y.t.h.i.n.g.
Swear words? No problem! Explicit lyrics? Bring ‘em on! It’s not often I travel sans kiddos and I make damn sure to take advantage of it.
Which is why my next admission is a bit surprising. I had left the girls home with Howard so I could hit the grocery store by myself (a mini-holiday in itself, I might add) and hopped into the driver’s seat with that gleeful burst of freedom that hits a mother of young children when she is able to independently run errands. Seat belt went on, windows went down, and I cranked that radio and lustily sang the duration of my short drive to Publix.
It wasn’t until I had glided into a parking space that it registered with me what I had been singing along to….
FOILED!
Not one profanity-laced chorus at all! No explicit lyric to be had! Instead I had fallen into singing along with my girls’ latest musical fixation- Jambo! My first thought was that I had blown my fleeting chance to indulge in some adult-music…. My second thought was “who the heck is this Jambo fellow and how dare he sneak into my head like that!” So I came home and did some research.
JAMBO is …
A band consisting of Steve Pierson (Vocals, Guitar, Slide Guitar), Melinda Leigh McGraw (Vocals and Assorted Knick Knacks), Mike “The Murph” Murphy (Keyboards), Philip Bynoe (Bass Guitar), and Herman Mathews (Drums).
Being that my husband and I like to include our children in our hobbies and passions, I really dig that Steve’s wife and daughter are instrumental in his music. Literally- their voices can be heard on numerous tracks on the album. I don’t know them personally or anything, but I imagine they’re a pretty close-knit family. I’d definitely invite them over for a summer barbecue sometime.
My trip to Publix showed me that Jambo’s newest album, “Hootenanny” isn’t your run-of-the-mill children’s music CD. It’s toe-tapping entertainment for the kids-at-heart too. Hootenanny has become my go-to CD of choice when it’s time to buckle down and clean my house. The music rocks and keeps me bee-bopping around in a cleaning frenzy and the best part is I don’t have to worry about any questionable content my kids might hear. It’s parent-AND-kid-friendly. Jambo’s official website has this snippet to say:
“Jambo is a musical journey that transports you though the roots of American music. One part Mississippi Delta, one part New Orleans street corner, and one part Chicago juke joint, JAMBO is all parts fun. The songs speak to children’s imaginations. They are about growing up, sharing, and the inclusion of all children. They promote self-esteem, independence, and celebrate individuality. And, of course, some are just about dancing and having fun.”
So yes, the lyrics are geared to children, but the music- the music is totally a family affair.
My personal favorite tracks on the album are “Try” and “Brand New Day”, followed closely by “Begin the Day Again”. (I may or may not have teared up on that one. Don’t judge me.)
My girls absolute favorite is “Space Monkey” and oh! how they giggle at the last line of the song, “…looking good Jambo- save a banana for me“, and then explode into peals of laughter together.
So are you wondering what your favorite song will be?
I’ll also be awarding one lucky reader with their very own copy of Hootenanny! Read through the Rafflecopter widget for your chance to win!
I love it’s American in roots and it’s a Parent’s Choice Winner.
I like the mix of styles that they play. Making good music for kids is not easy.
I like the colouring pages for the kids
Good music
I like that you can look up the lyrics to their songs, more fun to sing along with that way!
Cute website, I like the game section.
I like the song LADY BUG BOOGIE.
love the lyrics !! kids do too !
I like the five butterflies song
I like that it is a “Parents’ Choice Award Winner”
I love the music and the games the best– my littles thought it was for them–well I guess it was–lol
My kids could use the songs about sharing
Parents choice winner
amanda
myfourlittles.com
Your post cracked me up.
I love that is comes from all over…im more partial to the fact that is comes from part mississippi as well lol!
Being from south MS, what piques my interest are the words Mississippi Delta and New Orleans street corner… That’s enough to make me want one of these CD’s!
how cute I love my puppy dog
I really liked the website! I also played some of the videos for my daughter and she really liked them.
My grandson was sitting by my side when I went to site to look at……and took forever to get him away from watching the videos…..
After viewing the website, I think it would be great for the preschool class that I teach to dance to. I like that the songs are about sharing, growing up, and individuality.
Their coloring pages are just adorable!
Teaches music history
The site is just adorable! I love the little musical animals
And the games are cute too! Thanks for the giveaway!
I really like that it is “American roots” music!
I love their upbeat, positive music. Their page is a nice place to keep the kids entertained with good clean fun.
I like the music link:
http://www.jambojam.com/music/index.html
i like the jambo tshirt
http://www.zazzle.com/jambo_albie_gator_t_shirt-235652885567497074
very good music , im impressed
I like the mixes they make!
I like the music. It makes a person want to get up and dance.
This website it cute, but I like the music section.
love the kid lyrics and the fact that they have kid game son their website
I love that Jambo seems like it would be fun & educational for kids!
I like that you can not only listen to some of the songs on their page but that you can click on song and the lyrics will come up so you can sing along.
I like that the songs promote self-esteem and independence. Cool site.