This CD contains all acoustic arrangements of American folk songs popular with children everywhere, featuring multi-instrumentalist Kenny Blacklock on fiddle, guitar, mandolin, soprano & alto recorder, ukulele, and vocals. There are also two original songs by Kenny, “Tigers, Tigers” and “Here Come the Elephants,” and the very popular children’s song, “Fire Engine,” by Harmony Grisman.
Many of the songs on the CD are ones that Kenny regularly performs in his “Music for Tots” class in Sausalito, California. Others are songs that he has performed at school assemblies and other performances for young children. This CD is especially popular with children 8 years old and under.
Kenny’s good friend, Steve Goodbar contributed some fabulous lead and rhythm mandolin tracks to the CD. Kenny's wife and daughter contributed vocal and fiddle tracks to many of the tunes. Stephen Ehret co-produced the CD with Kenny. Kenny formerly worked with Stephen Ehret in the popular northern California based rock band, The Keepers.
Kenny Blacklock has been teaching music to kids of all ages for over twenty-five years. He attended Berklee College of Music and has an MA in Interdisciplinary Humanities from San Francisco State University.
Kenny has played fiddle, keyboards, mandolin, musical saw and other instruments with variety of different groups over the years, including bluegrass bands and rock bands. Kenny currently plays with Keystone Station, Bluegrass Contraption, and Wild Blue.
Kenny is a regular competitor and judge at fiddle contests and has had many top five finishes over the years. He is the grandson of world-renown musical saw player Charlie Blacklock.
Steve Goodbar is an award winning guitarist, mandolinist, and songwriter, Steve has been performing for more than twenty-five years entertaining audiences at County Fairs, folk and bluegrass festivals, pubs, coffeehouses, and charity benefits all over California and the Southwest where he lived for fifteen years. Steve has shared the stage with western swing legend Tiny Moore, Mike Seeger, and the Bluegrass Cardinals’ David Parmley and Randy Graham. Steve is originally from the San Francisco Bay Area and currently resides in Eugene, Oregon.
Stephen Ehret was a founding member and songwriter for The Wildflower, one of the original psychedelic 60’s bands, and co-wrote songs with poets, Michael McClure and Michael McCausland. The Wildflower played The Red Dog Saloon in Virginia City, Nevada in the days before they (the Family Dog) opened the Avalon Ballroom. The Wildflower played opening night at the Avalon with The Grateful Dead and Michael McClure in a benefit for The Straight Theater, which they also opened with The Dead, and later played with Big Brother and the Holding Company. The Wildflower appeared in the first show Bill Graham ever produced at The Fillmore Auditorium in 1966. It was called The Peace Rock and featured The Jefferson Airplane, Country Joe and the Fish, The Sopwith Camel, Quicksilver Messenger Service, The Grateful Dead, and The Wildflower. Later they played with The Birds at the Fillmore and The Youngbloods at the Mountain Theater and toured Canada with them after a Wildflower solo tour back East. Stephen Ehret was also a founding member of the popular northern California based rock band, The Keepers.
Kenny Blacklock’s “Music for Tots” class in Sausalito, California celebrates the wonderful world of songs, rhythm and movement. We sing and clap together, learn fingerplays, play simple percussion instruments, and dance. The songs are all well-known children’s songs, including some by Raffi, Ella Jenkins, and Woody Guthrie, as well as a few originals by the instructor, and a song or two in Spanish. We also introduce the tots to different types of instruments up close.
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