Tag Archives: Jeff Giles

Blu-ray Review: “Tinker Bell and the Great Fairy Rescue”

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Remember how everyone cheered when John Lasseter took over Disney and announced he was canceling most of the studio’s awful direct-to-video projects? Film lovers (and parents) everywhere understood Lasseter’s zeal for doing away with crap sequels to The Little Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast — but not all home-market releases are created equal, and the rise of the Tinker Bell franchise is a case in point.

As we’ve discussed here in the past, it’s fashionable to hate Disney, and there are some good reasons for that — but if you’re going to build a spinoff franchise, the Tinker Bell movies offer a case study in the right way to do it. Tink is a recognizable character, but she wasn’t the basis of the classic film she starred in, and that frees up the studio to tell all kinds of stories about her without interfering with parents’ fond Peter Pan memories — and tell those stories with computer-generated animation, to boot.

The sight of an animated sequel or spinoff isn’t exactly encouraging, especially of the CG variety, so from the outside, the Tinker Bell movies might look like cheap cash-ins on a classic film. But this is John Lasseter’s Disney, where quality is king; if you’re allergic to fairy cartoons, then it’s doubtful that anything here will change your mind, but if you’ve avoided the Tinker Bell spinoffs because you suffered the horror of Return to Never Land or Lady and the Tramp II: Scamp’s Adventure, then dive right in. Continue reading →

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CD Review: Brian Vogan and His Good Buddies, “Sing a Little Song”

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Brian Vogan’s first CD, 2008’s Little Songs, has been one of my daughter’s favorites since it was released, so you can imagine the level of anticipation surrounding the arrival of his second album, Sing a Little Song. And taking the disc out of the envelope underscored one of the cool fringe benefits of this whole writing-about-kid’s-music thing — when Little Songs came out, Sophie was singing along to Vogan’s “Animal ABCs”; this time around, she read his name off the front cover. It was a special moment. How could the music help but be overshadowed?

Only by being awesome — and I’m happy to report that Sing a Little Song is just that. The album is credited to Brian Vogan and His Good Buddies, and the songs reflect that friendly, expansive spirit; where the first album was a low-key, homespun-sounding affair, this has more of a band feel. And you can hear why Vogan adjusted his approach this time out; he’s beefed up his arrangements, and the songs really benefit from the added layers.

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What hasn’t changed is that Vogan’s songs are catchy as all get out — and unlike a lot of performers in the genre, he doesn’t do any annoying play-acting with his voice, displaying a refreshing level of trust in his music to speak for itself (and his audience to really listen).

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The album opens with the lovely “How to Fly,” a duet with Visqueen frontwoman Rachel Flotard, and from the opening bars to the closing chords, Sing a Little Song reflects Vogan’s quirky, down-to-earth perspective. He does touch on his share of oft-covered kids’ music topics (crossing the street, washing your hands, space, dinosaurs, trucks), but he puts his own unique spin on them, and he also makes room for stuff you’re not liable to hear anywhere else — like “27,” for instance. (It’s a song about counting to the number 27.

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My personal favorites are “How to Fly,” the instantly hummable title track, and the hard-rocking “Wash Your Hands,” but the whole album is impressively solid. This has been a really solid year for children’s music, and Sing a Little Song is one of my favorite 2010 releases so far. Listen to the samples at CD Baby and see if you don’t agree.

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CD Review: Heidi Swedberg and the Sukey Jump Band, “Play!”

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What comes to mind when you think of the ukulele? If you’re a member of my generation (or older), you probably think of Don Ho or his many cheesy, Hawaiian-shirted imitators — but the uke is so much more than “Tiny Bubbles” on The Lawrence Welk Show, and Heidi Swedberg is doing her part to demonstrate just how family-friendly ukulele music can be.

Play! offers up 15 tracks, most of them from the public domain (examples include “Froggie Went a-Courtin'” and “Pop Goes the Weasel”), with few production frills and plenty of silly charm. It’s a conscious throwback to the days of family parlor music — as Swedberg writes in the liner notes, listeners should “Tune up and learn one, two or three chords. Play!” And if you’re a little intimidated by the prospect of sitting down and learning to play “Kookaburra” or “My Dog Has Fleas,” don’t worry — she’s included tabs in the booklet. Unlike the many albums engineered to make your kids beg for Backyardigans dolls or Dora backpacks, here’s a collection that challenges you to make your own joyful noise.

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How refreshing is that?

And okay, so you probably aren’t going to shut off the TV and start a family band right away. But even if listening to Play! doesn’t inspire you to buy a ukulele for every member of your family, it’s still an awful lot of fun — Heidi Swedberg is an immensely appealing performer, and she has a lot of fun with her song selections, whether she’s crooning the “Japanese Umbrella Song” or lending a little pineapple flair (and singing saw) to “Dream a Little Dream.” For mellow afternoons, dancing in the kitchen with your kids, or family band practice, Play! backs up the cheerful demand imposed by its title. More, please.

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