Rock Father Musicbot 6000 here with a press release from VANESSA TRIEN AND THE JUMPING MONKEYS, who will be releasing a new family-friendly album this Fall…
Honored with FIVE national awards and adored by a legion of families in the greater Boston area, Vanessa Trien and the Jumping Monkeys are poised to firmly plant themselves on the national scene with the October 2 release of Vanessa’s third studio CD, Bubble Ride (VeeTree Records, $14.98, run time 47 minutes, for ages 1 – 8).
With heartwarming effervescence, Vanessa Trien and the Jumping Monkeys have captured the vibrant energy of the band’s tremendously popular live concerts to showcase a sound honed and refined over the course of the past two years, a sound notable for its energized spontaneity, rich harmonies, and primarily acoustic instrumentation. The result: a distinctive album, which defines a polished, mindful approach to music for children and families.
Bubble Ride kicks off with “Moomooheehawbaabaaneigh,” a sort of barnyard onomatopoetic Afrobeat song that takes a break in the middle to feature a hilarious rap about animal conversations. A delightful feature of many of the songs on Bubble Ride is the way they “open up” to create the image of a richly textured, large vocal ensemble. Listening to these singers harmonize makes it clear that they love what they’re doing! This is especially apparent when Vanessa Trien and the Jumping Monkeys revisit on iconic anthem of the early ’70s, “Free to Be You and Me.” The round, deep tones of Paul Kochanski’s bass provide a living foundation for the band throughout the CD, while Adam Rothberg’s mandolin playing provides an easygoing Nashville sound to “Spinning Around.” “Tickle Monster” alternates a droll, klezmer-like slow verse with a fast and silly chorus guaranteed to tickle all listeners of all ages. With “Yo-Yo Song” the ensemble again demonstrates its strength as a harmony group, with much credit going to the sensitive way that Julie Rama Winslow supports Vanessa Trien’s lead. Throughout the album, Vanessa Trien displays a command of a multitude of vocal styles that emphasize the humor of songs like “Peacock Walk,” the rockabilly energy of “One Fine Day,” the husky blues sound of “Train Dance,” and the relaxed poise of the title track.
Notes Vanessa Trien, “Over the past two years, the Jumping Monkeys band has seen a lot of changes as new musicians have come on board, each one contributing fresh ideas and impressive talent. While I remain the primary songwriter, the band has grown into a tight-knit musical family that, together, shapes the songs and creates the sounds we want. We focus mostly on acoustic instruments since many of us come from an acoustic folk background, but we also have roots-rock-bluegrass-funk edges that get families up and dancing. I still enjoy playing solo shows, but I really love playing with the full band because it opens up a whole new world of possibilities as a songwriter and performer.”
Singer-songwriter Vanessa Trien, who holds a master’s degree in education from Harvard University, has been crisscrossing musical borders for as long as she can remember. While grounded in the acoustic folk genre, Vanessa has assimilated her own style, shifting effortlessly through an eclectic bag of influences: folk, blues, country, rockabilly, jazz standards, Latin, Caribbean, and ‘70s and ‘80s pop. Expanding her horizons to include kid-friendly music came naturally when Vanessa became a parent. Indeed, her debut kids’ album, Hot Air Balloon (2006), gestated right along with her first child. Both baby Ellis and the CD were deemed first-rate at birth. School Library Journal dubbed the album “A winner!” Midwest Book Review wrote, “Enthusiastically recommended … [an] outstanding ‘feel good’ CD.” Vanessa’s second kids’ CD, Carnival Day (2009), accompanied baby Laila into the world. BostonChildren’s Music called Carnival Day “a must have for any kids’ music collection.” Vanessa Trien’s first two albums have won two Parents’ Choice® Awards, a NAPPA Award, and two iParenting Media Awards.
For more: http://vanessatrien.com/
