Album Notes

The long awaited follow up to "You Are My Flower", "You Are My Sunshine" is the second children's album by Elizabeth Mitchell of the NYC band ida. Recorded by Warn Defever (Nis Name Is Alive/4AD), "You Are My Sunshine" has the same intimate, "homemade" quality and production style that worked so magically on "You are my flower". Liz's love of old-time folk and country blues songs and spare arrangements is still evident, but the new album goes into new territory stretching out into more forms of American roots music including gospel and early rock n roll. Once again, Daniel Littleton (also of the band ida) plays piano, guitar and sings with Liz. But on You Are My Sunshine they are joined at the mic by their 1&1/2 year old daughter Storey who toasts "Yabby-U!" while her parents sing the alphabet over a King Tubby inspired dub! You Are My Sunshine is a loving gift to kids and the people who love them, and a record for serious music listeners everywhere. Elizabeth Mitchell, a former assistant teacher at the Roosevelt Island Day Nursery in NYC, is a founding member of the NYC band Ida. Formed in Brooklyn in 1992, Ida have released 5 full length albums on independent labels. Their release "Will You Find Me," on Tigerstyle records, was voted album of the week by Jon Pareles in the New York Times, August 18, 2000, and named among the years end list "undeservedly obscure- the best overlooked music of 2000" by Ann Powers, also in the New York Times. PRAISE FOR YOU ARE MY SUNSHINE "I love it...handmade music filled with unexpected musical twists and turns. Soulful and sincere." --Dan Zanes, musician "a sweet album that never turns saccharin. What makes it a true delight is Mitchell's beautiful voice, clear and pure as an Appalachian mountain stream." --The New York Post, January 11, 2003 "You Are My Sunshine serves as a carefully crafted musical soundtrack for 21st century families, making adults reminiscent of days gone by while introducing children to the power of music." --Allmusic.com "You Are My Sunshine is as irresistible as it is undeniably cool." --Family Fun magazine, May 2003 "...sparkles with bluegrass-ballad finesse. Tender melodies, sprinkled with banjo, piano and guitar, will appeal to ears both big and small." --Mothering magazine March/April 2003 "...a true all in the family spirit." -- Publishers Weekly, February 3,2003, starred review for more information, here are some websites! youaremyflower.org- Elizabeth Mitchell's site for kids music idamusic.com- the official website for the band ida, and information about last affair records tigerstylerecords.com- ida's record label