This is turning out to be quite a week – yesterday we not only got to formally announce our upcoming concerts at Wolf Trap Children’s Theatre-in-the-Woods this July 10/11, but we also heard that CTRR had been selected as one of the Top 25 “Best Bands For Kids” by Time Out New York Kids Magazine!

It’s a thrill to share this honor with such performers as They Might Be Giants, Dan Zanes, Gustafer Yellowgold, Justin Roberts, and twenty distinguished others.  Our sincerest thanks to the editorial staff at TONYK and to all of our loyal hep-cats – we’re blown away by your support.

Wolf Trap’s picturesque Children’s Theatre-in-the-Woods is a unique outdoor venue located within America’s only National Park for the Performing Arts behind the Filene Center. A tradition for generations throughout the Washington D.C. area, Children’s Theatre-in-the-Woods offers music, dance, theatre, puppetry, and storytelling.

Swinging along with us those days are two acclaimed talents in the DC jazz scene.  On piano, we welcome Washingtonian Magazine’s “Best In Jazz” pianist Bill Harris.  Bill has released four CDs both as a solo artist and as leader of the Compass Quartet (featuring Albert “Tootie” Heath), served as Musical Director for the inaugural year of the Smithsonian’s IMAX Jazz Cafe, and has performed at jazz festivals and other legendary venues nationwide. Drummer Tony Martucci has been featured on numerous CDs (including two as bandleader), toured on four continents, and worked with such artists as Mose Allison, Gary Burton, Joe Henderson, Joshua Redman, and Sonny Stitt.

Our concerts, sponsored by Wolf Trap Foundation for the Performing Arts and the National Park Service, will begin at 10.30am on July 10 and 11.  Tickets are $8 (children under 2 are free) and will go on sale this Saturday, April 28.  Tickets may be purchased online, by phone at 1-877-WOLFTRAP, or in person at the Filene Center Box Office.  Click here for complete ticketing information and policies.

Lincoln Center in 2011, Wolf Trap in 2012…we can’t wait to see where the music will take us next!  (:

FYI, there’s a big announcement coming next month about another very prestigious (and beautiful) out-of-town gig we’ve just confirmed for July.  That’s all we can tell you for now…except that it’s in the northeastern contiguous United States.  (;

More soon!

Anyone can register to watch the show on StageIt.com.  As this is our first webcasting experiment, we’ve made just 25 “tickets” available on a pay-what-you-can basis (StageIt asks that you purchase $5 worth of “notes” up front, though you can use those on any upcoming StageIt performance).  Wherever in the world you may be watching from, please email your feedback afterward on how we can make it even cooler the next time.

To our Nashville friends – come prepared to swing and, of course, read a book with us.  See you there!

WEBCAST LINK @ STAGEIT.COM

There are lots of great things ahead for CTRR in 2012 starting with two performances at the Nashville Main Branch Library this month.  We’ll be featured performers in the Children’s Theater on January 20 and 21 with shows at 10.30 and 11.30am on both days.  Not only will we play a full set of music, but we’ll also be sharing aloud a favorite book with help from some special library friends.

On February 4, we’ll hold our first-ever webcast concert via StageIt.com at Parnassus Books (located in the Green Hills neighborhood of Nashville) at 4pm.  It’ll be the first chance that our friends around the world can join us for a live show via the web!

Also, for a limited time you can join 5,000 other people who have already downloaded our free ten-song CTRR/Noise Trade sampler (and we’ll thank you in advance for your generous tips that are used to pay our recording and manufacturing expenses).

More news coming soon, so watch this space!

“There are far worse things to indoctrinate your kids into than jazz. These pied-piper pushers of syncopation mean to serve as your children’s gateway to everything from Blossom Dearie to the giant who gives the group its punning name, just as Schoolhouse Rock hipped ’70s youngsters to Dearie and Bob Dorough. Bassist-producer Chris Donohue has played or recorded alongside a roster of stellar artists — Emmylou Harris, Elvis Costello and Robert Plant, to name just a few — but he sounds like he’s having the time of his life backing Nashville singer-songwriter Katy Bowser, whose bubbly, burbling delivery meets your sugared-up tots on common ground. On “I’m Diggin’ Me,” the first track on their new CD Swings!, Bowser comes on like Junie B. Jones fronting an Ella Fitzgerald session, slinging syllables like snap pops as she takes pride in her Wonder Woman Underoos. But don’t worry that you’re getting OK-for-kids jazz — or worse, a dose of musical castor oil you choke down “because it’s good for you.” This is all cheery, hip-swinging insouciance, and jaded jazzbo parents will have no problems joining their tots on board.” — Jim Ridley

www..com:

“There are not many artists who play jazz for kids, which is a sad thing. Sad not because Jazz Is The American Art Form and more kids should be aware of their country’s musical heritage (even though that statement is true). Sad because jazz can be one of the most playful musical forms, and who plays better than kids?

On their second album, Coal Train Railroad Swings!, Nashville’s Coal Train Railroad are every bit as playful as their pint-sized primary audience, adding several musical exclamation points to that in the title. From the get-go vocalist Katy Bowser throws herself into the preschool-focused lyrics with abandon. On the swingin’ leadoff track “I’m Diggin’ Me,” Bowser sounds hopped up on pixie sticks as she fully inhabits the bouncing-off-the-walls-let’s-play-superheroes! narrator. On big band-inspired “Dirt,” I love the way Bowser throws off the word “dirt” at the end of every line, a statement of fact mixed with “what-are-ya-gonna-do?” insouciance. And I think you can probably guess the vocal approach she takes on the gypsy-jazz “I Hab a Code.”

Which isn’t to imply that the music is just jokey — they come from a kid-centered focus. Bowser can turn in gorgeous vocals as well, as on “With A Box.” And she’s very ably backed up by her CTRR co-founder, producer and bassist Christopher Donohue, and the rest of the band. They provide great accompaniment, playful when necessary, solid through and through. The album is very preschool-focused lyrically, which may very well restrict the repeatability for folks when kids aren’t around, though the album closer, the gorgeous “On Our Swings,” is a worthy successor to the West Coast jazz sound Vince Guaraldi made famous to a broad audience via the Peanuts TV specials.

The album is more appropriate for kids ages 2 through 7, though that’s a lyrical distinction — musically, it works for everyone. You can hear the whole 27-minute album via the widget at the bottom of the page.

I liked Coal Train Railroad’s debut, but I really like Coal Train Railroad Swings!. If it’s not quite the all-ages classic that Medeski Martin & Wood’s Let’s Go Everywhere is, it gets close. It’s musical, smart, and, most importantly, fun. Definitely recommended.”

Here’s an early review from Jonathan Rogers at www.rabbitroom.com:

I didn’t know it, but I loved jazz when I was a kid. I was a huge fan of the Vince Guaraldi trio. I didn’t know that either. I only knew that the music for A Charlie Brown Christmas was one of the best things I had ever heard. It was a risky move to pair grown-up jazz music with an animated children’s show in 1965; it would be a risky move now, in the era of Thundercats and Sponge Bob Squarepants. But the Charlie Brown specials have always made it seem that jazz for kids is the most natural thing in the world.

The jazz combo Coal Train Railroad–Katy Bowser, Chris Donohue, and a rotating cast of exceedingly talented instrumentalists–works on that very assumption, that jazz is great music for kids. More to the point, they demonstrate that jazz and kids are a natural combination. Their new record, Coal Train Railroad Swings, releases today. Musically, this is the real deal. Inspired by traditional swing jazz and seasoned with a dash of polka and a little bit of Tom Waits, the musicianship is stellar. Katy Bowser’s vocals are a miracle–expressive and very fun, but also technically astonishing. She performs a vocal run at the end of “Get My Wiggles Out” that is positively pyrotechnic. One wonders if she could possibly do it the same way twice.

That’s Coal Train Railroad Swings! for you: genuine virtuosity in the service of a song about getting one’s wiggles out. The same virtuosity is exercised in songs about going to the pool, leaving a lunch bag out in the rain, suffering from the common cold (“I Hab a Code”), and getting dirty (of dirt, Katy asks, “What am I supposed to do? This stuff is everywhere!”).

The subject matter is perfectly relevant to the toddler set, but there is no condescension here. I have heard Katy Bowser speak of “inviting children into the conversation” with her art. To put it another way, Coal Train Railroad says to kids, “Jazz is your music too.” Indeed, in many ways, children are more ready for jazz than adults. For a baby learning to speak, talking is a lot like scat-singing. A baby plays with the sounds and rhythms of words before he knows exactly what to do with their meanings. Katy tells of her baby daughter Story’s ongoing riffs on the words “broccoli” (“bockly”) and “book,” repeating them over and over with different intonations and pronunciations and cadences.

The great revelation of Coal Train Railroad’s music is that jazz, which seems urbane, highbrow, and frankly intimidating to many grownups, can be entirely accessible. I don’t even own a turtleneck, but still I love this music. Watching my own children enjoy Coal Train Railroad Swings! has reminded me that jazz, that great American form, is my music too.

December 13-14 / 9.30, 10.30, 11.30am / Nashville Main Library Storytime We return to visit our human and puppet friends at Nashville’s Main Branch Library!  We’ll accompany Professor, Library Pete, and Mary Mary during their book readings and activities, and also perform a few songs from our new record in public for the very first time!

December 17 / 4pm / CD Release Concert at Ugly Mugs Coffee & Tea Our favorite local coffeeshop was the site of our first CD release party (and first-ever public performance) back in January 2010, and was the sponsor of our “Jump@7″ podcast.  What better place to celebrate the release of our second CD and play a full set for our neighborhood crowd?  This set will focus on new songs, but we’ll of course play a few CTRR standards from the first album.

Pre-order today and get a head-start on learning these new lyrics so you can sing along with us!  Our pre-order specials are in place until midnight tonight.

Speaking of “Black Friday”, it’s the perfect time to show your support for local businesses and independent music by snapping up some copies of our new album for the little hep-cats in your world.  Take advantage of our Buddy Bundle or Playground Pack bargains and you can check quite a few names off your gift-giving list, too!

Single copies can be ordered NOW for $10+s/h and we’ll continue these pre-order specials through this Friday, 25 November:
Buddy Bundle: 5 CDs for $40+s/h
Playground Pack: 10 CDs for $70+s/h
The Whole Shebang: Coal Train Railroad debut CD, “Live In Monophonorama” digital EP download, and “Coal Train Railroad Swings!” CD $20+s/h

Single copies can be ordered NOW for $10+s/h, plus we’re offering these pre-order specials:

Buddy Bundle: 5 CDs for $40+s/h
Playground Pack: 10 CDs for $70+s/h
The Whole Shebang: Coal Train Railroad debut CD, “Live In Monophonorama” digital EP download, and “Coal Train Railroad Swings!” CD $20+s/h

Here are a few random images from our week in the studio. Video to come soon!

So now, to wrap up 2011 with a big bang, we’re recording our new album “Coal Train Railroad SWINGS!” today and tomorrow at Swinglewood Studio!

This collection of ten brand-new Coal Train tunes will begin shipping later this month in time for the holidays. You can help give our “swing” a push (and gain access to great package deals) by pre-ordering your copies today from our website.

Single copies can be ordered for $10+s/h, plus we’re offering these pre-order specials:

Buddy Bundle: 5 CDs for $40+s/h
Playground Pack: 10 CDs for $70+s/h
The Whole Shebang: Coal Train Railroad debut CD, “Live In Monophonorama” digital EP download, and “Coal Train Railroad Swings!” CD $20+s/h

Thanks for staying tuned to our website this week for updates and video from the recording sessions!

“Coal Train Railroad Swings!”, a collection of ten brand-new Coal Train tunes, will begin shipping in late November 2011.  You can help give our “swing” a push (and gain access to great package deals) by pre-ordering your copies today from our website.  You can order single copies for $10+s/h, or choose from these pre-order specials:

Buddy Bundle
5 CDs for $40+s/h

Playground Pack
10 CDs for $70+s/h

The Whole Shebang
Coal Train Railroad debut CD, “Live In Monophonorama” digital EP download, and “Coal Train Railroad Swings!” CD
$20+s/h

Be sure to watch our website for updates and video from the recording sessions, and have a swingin’ September in the meantime!

11am showtime/admission free.



We rehearsed Friday in the A Room of Michiko, a studio in midtown designed specifically with the needs of jazz musicians in mind.  There we met our old friend Tanner Jacobsen (drummer on the CTRR debut album) as well as a new friend, the exceptionally talented pianist/educator Asen Doykin.  Asen came highly recommended to us by a mutual friend, and from the first notes of his lush and playful interpretations of the CTRR repetoire we immediately settled into an afternoon of jamming with wide smiles on our faces.

Call-time was 9am at the David Rubenstein Atrium at Lincoln Center on Saturday.  The staff and technical crew of the Atrium could not have been more helpful, anticipating all of our needs and treating us like cherished members of the extended Lincoln Center family.

Photo by Tanya Braganti (www.tanyabraganti.com)

It has been our experience that parents and caregivers prefer (understandably) to arrive with their kids with as little down-time as possible before a childrens’ event begins, and so tend to turn up only a few minutes prior to its designated start time.  How thrilling, then, to see the Atrium filling up with little New Yorkers ready to swing a full half-hour before downbeat!  This continued until shortly after the concert began, when the Atrium staff was forced to close the doors and admit more people only as space became available.

Photo by Tanya Braganti (www.tanyabraganti.com)

Having such a wonderfully active and engaged capacity crowd to play for (and with), we had so much fun during the show that for a moment we were concerned that we’d go over our time without getting through our entire set.  As it happened, we finished with enough time to take a couple of questions and also lead the crowd in a rendition of “Happy Birthday” for Tanner.  As Katy made her final exit into the front rows to shake some (mostly little) hands, Asen, Tanner, and myself launched into a few instrumental choruses of “Straight, No Chaser” (which seemed entirely appropriate considering that Thelonious Monk, the tune’s composer, was raised only two blocks away).  After the concert, we celebrated and caught up with family members and dear friends at PJ Clarke’s, just around the corner.

When our return flight from LGA had to be re-routed yesterday at the very last minute, Team Coal Train’s quick reflexes and some very helpful USAir gate agents ensured that we arrived safely back in Nashville last night.  The now-seasoned traveler Story Jane again took the whole journey in stride, eating and sleeping comfortably for most of the trip.

We are deeply grateful to Tom Dunn, Hillary Plate, Jordana Phokompe, Brant Murray, Marian Skokan, and the rest of the staff of the David Rubenstein Atrium at Lincoln Center for their enthusiasm, kindness, and professionalism.  We’re also indebted to all of CTRR’s fans, friends, and Kickstarters for their ongoing support as we share our love of jazz with kids around the world.  We could not have imagined or asked for a more stylish or exciting New York debut.

We’re going to make sure we meet again in New York sooner rather than later.  In the meantime, we’ll keep you posted on the development of a short documentary film about Coal Train’s journey to Lincoln Center!

Thank you again, one and all,

Chris (& Katy)

Joining us on this date: Tanner Jacobsen, a dear friend and brilliant Brooklyn-based drummer/composer featured on our debut CD, and the amazing NYC-based pianist/composer/educator Asen Doykin on piano.  We couldn’t be more excited about getting to work with such talented musicians.

We’d like to say thanks again not only to the staff of the Rubenstein Atrium for the invitation to play in their beautiful space, but also to our Kickstarters for their generosity and vision – we’ll be swinging our hardest for all of you!

Watch this space for more developments as our Lincoln Center performance draws near (just two weeks from this Saturday!)

We – Coal Train Railroad & Co – will see you at the David Rubenstein Atrium At Lincoln Center on February 5 at 11 am!

Love,
CTRR

The campaign ends this Saturday (18 December) at 9.37am CST so thanks for spreading the word about the little Coal Train that could…
View Coal Train Railroad – Nashville to NYC in a larger map

View Coal Train Railroad – Nashville to NYC in a larger map

We’re updating the above Google Map daily, and you can also check our real-time progress in the Kickstarter widget on the right-hand side of this page.

Included in this collection of new recordings from the 2010 Summer Podcast Series are two CTRR standards arranged for voice and piano trio, our version of “Bicycle” by The Jellydots, the funky “Spider and the Fly” (written by our dear friend and KC jazz legend “Mama” Myra Taylor), the folk classic “Chocolate Ice Cream Cone”, and a quirky original Coal Train jump-blues entitled “Jump@7”.

Give your kids the gift of jazz for the holidays!

Don’t forget – the “Live In Monophonorama” EP hits our BandCamp site at the stroke of midnight tonight…

More news coming shortly about the release of our “Live In Monophonorama” EP on Wednesday, a very prominent New York entertainment publication that’s taken notice of our music, and our upcoming appearance at the East Nashville Christmas Fest…

To help offset the cost of airfares, hotel rooms near Lincoln Center (so Katy can comfortably travel and settle-in with her brand-new baby girl, due in early January), and other related logistical expenses, we’re conducting a Kickstarter “crowdfunding” campaign. For CTRR friends and fans that would like to help us underwrite this dream come true, we’re offering several different premiums to show our sincerest thanks!

Big thanks to Kids’ Music for Libraries for their glowing review. It’s always great to hear anyone- let alone a librarian for kids- enjoying what Coal Train Railroad is up to!
As Nashville knows, we Coal Train cats dig our libraries.

In the penultimate edition of our Summer Podcast Series we share our studio, drumsticks, favorite coffee mug, and dartboard with Tony James, co-host of Playhouse Disney’s beloved “Out Of The Box” program. There’s also music by Nat King Cole and the Coal Train Railroad Quartet (who still await Shorty Peppertone’s return), and a story of a not-so-jolly giant who’s refreshed by a visit to The Turnip Truck Natural Market, our sponsor!

Thanks to Lauri, mama of Madi, wife of Stephen, our engineer and mixmaster, and blogger at Retro Mod Momma for her enthusiastic endorsement of our summer podcast series- read it here!

And to subscribe to the podcast series on iTunes, click here!

*Due to size restrictions the iPod version is posted here. You’ll find the full-def version at our YouTube channel.

Many thanks to our sponsor – the little red-haired fairy at Fairytales Bookstore (www.fairytalesbookstore.com).  Click on the player below to listen or download!

You can find out more about Myra’s life and career in this 2008 article from Pitch.com.

Curious about the Charleston?  Click here for a demonstration by Ginger Rogers and Lucille Ball.

Thanks to Zooglobble for their kind words about our summer podcast series!  They get all kinds of good stuff together over there- have a look-see.

Go make yourself a Coal Train Railroad station on Pandora! Their description: kid-friendly vibe, subtle use of vocal harmony, demanding instrumental part writing. Awesome.  We’re honored to be on this favorite for finding music that people love.

Sponsored by Eastside Cycles, this edition features interviews with young cyclists, elementary school poets reading their bicycle-themed works, and the original The Jellydots version of “Bicycle” along with Coal Train’s cover version!

Press the Play button below and enjoy a listen!

Thanks for the plug for this morning’s library gig, Nashvilleforfree.com!  And they have a sense of humor:

“This is Nashville, and I know that all Nashvillian mommas and daddies want their kids to be musical at a young age. I mean, how else are those kids gonna get work before they’re two?”

Read the whole thing here.

Attention all young cyclists! Tell us your favorite bicycling story in the form
of a short poem or paragraph – if we select it to be read on our first
podcast (sponsored by Eastside Cycles) we’ll send you a free CD! Submit
your entries via our Facebook page or our contact form. below by Monday, April 26. Tricycles count,
too, of course.

Looking forward to covering a tune by kindierockers extraordinaire, The Jellydots on our upcoming podcast recordings.  Let’s see how Jellydots taste with a dollop of jazz!

If you are a big Coal Train champ:
Want to pay less, yet help us buy stamps?
This does the job: instead of paying Steve Jobs
Download Coal Train Railroad at Bandcamp!

http://coaltrainrailroad.bandcamp.com/

The beauty of downloading Coal Train Railroad from Bandcamp.com is that EVERY PENNY goes to the musicians, and we can set the price lower because we’re not giving a large portion to the Big Guy.  (I’m typing this on my MacBook right now- I think they’ll be ok.)

And that, friends, helps us chug down the road toward making more music for you!  We can’t wait.  We’re having a blast.

Coal Train Railroad, via the magical means of music, has arrived in Australia!  The marvelous mother’s world Connect to Aussie Mums is featuring Coal Train Railroad and giving away a copy of the CD. So, mums, down there, hop aboard!  And even if you’re not from/in Australia, have a peek- there’s  ton of marvelous information for mothers everywhere.  (They’ve even been known to allow jazz musicians in.)

Here’s what C2M’s Peace says:

This enchanting cd is a collection of catchy tunes with a definite jazz flavour. It’s quite unlike any other children’s cd and I just loved its classy old world charm.

My boys aged 5, 7 & 9 all really enjoyed listening to this cd, particularly my eldest, and they loved trying to guess which instruments they could hear in each track.

My youngest loved ‘My belly button stays the same’ and wanted to know all about belly buttons after hearing it and my middle son, Max, loved the line from ‘I need a nap’ about being as cranky as a crocodile!

This is a fantastic cd and would make a great gift for a whole family to enjoy because grown-ups will love the smooth sounds of Coal Train Railroad as much as kids do!

That’s right: Bellybutton Stays the Same is the free mp3 Download of the Week at new children’s music network WiggleNation.com Go get it, tell your friends! Bellybuttons on the house.  Visit our Wigglepage, then come back and buy Coal Train Railroad or download it from iTunes!)

Thanks to kid’s culture afficionado Matthew Siden at Nugget Island for his well-considered and glowing review of Coal Train Railroad!  We think an awful lot of his work, as well.  Head over to Nugget Island for the full review and much more. Though it’s hard to choose, one nugget for you:

“The album also swings, toots, jams and riffs through subjects like the joy of juice, sharing and listening. This project is truly a delight and unique in its execution. These are real musicians, playing real instruments and not a jazz-lite effort pandering to kids. An effort like Coal Train Railroad is sure to inspire future jazz lovers and make them aware of other genres at an early, impressionable age. In the meantime, I hope this album continues to build the audience it so deserves.”

Us too- working on it!

Stick around for the instrumental break:  apparently Spanish Fox and JJ the Lamb have been perfecting their tango.  We love this little video for the audience response:  the giggling and little bits of toddler Spanish that pop in to the mix make our day.

Would you like a free download of What’s Mine is Yours with the Spanish Fox?  Email us at info@coaltrainrailroad.com with Spanish Fox in the subject line- we’ll send it over.

March 13, 10 am Davis Kidd Booksellers

March 24  10:30 am Nashville Public Library- Goodlettsville Branch

Head on over to Goodie Goodie Gumdrops for a great review of Coal Train Railroad and a Coal Train CD giveaway.  Lots of other treats there, too: have a look-see!

A snippet:

“Grab your ticket and hop on board the Coal Train Railroad. It’s such an enjoyable ride through the diverse lands of jazz, you nor your children will want to leave. Katy and Friends have really set the bar high for family music with this progressive release. It’s quite catchy and sure to please those who are newcomers to jazz as well as the most discerning jazz fans.”

Parents, do we ever have an idea for your Saturday morning.

-Prep your coffee the night before.

-Download The Saturday Morning Cereal Bowl onto the family iTunes.

-Saturday morning, as the children jump on your bed, tell them to press play on the iPod and the On button on the coffeemaker.

-Roll over for 10 more minutes and sleep as long as the giggling in the kitchen lets you.

-Go down and join the kids for some fantastic music for the family.  Coal Train Railroad will be on there this Saturday- enjoy!

We’d like to give propers and brag a bit, too- this segment was directed by Steve Feldman of Sam Hill Group:  among other feats, Steve created our our Coal Train movie.  Yes: he knows Elmo.

Thanks to Jeff at Dadnabbit.com for his review of Coal Train Railroad today.  Head over for the full review, stay for all of the other smart insights for dads, in particular.

A nugget:

“Running the jazz (and jazz-ish) spectrum from jump blues to torch ballads, Coal Train Railroad puts singer Katy Bowser’s supple vocals in front of a crack combo and some smart, easy-to-digest arrangements. Think of it as sort of a jazzy audio equivalent of Bugsy Malone; when she slows down the tempo, Bowser croons like Linda Ronstadt on her Nelson Riddle records, but instead of looking for someone to watch over her, she’s looking for a nap.”

Also worth watching, but not embeddable: The story of how Louis Prima and I Wanna Be Like You in all of its Dixieland glory ended up in the Jungle Book.

Exhibit A:  The consummately playful Ella Fitzgerald with A-Tisket A-Tasket.

Read all about it- and perhaps win a free Coal Train Railroad CD!- at Today’s Lessons.  Delightful story and review.  A bit of it, detailing this child who had previously eschewed jazz:

“I listened to the album all alone first, making sure that I wouldn’t be more deeply embedding my children’s disdain. And I fell in love. Katy’s fun and easy style, her sweet and playful lines, the endearing way she addresses such important subjects as mouth noises, belly buttons and fruit juice had me really hoping Baby would like what she heard.

So I loaded up the iPod and one day, as I was taking the kiddoes, both young and older, out to lunch, I played Coal Train Railroad. And I held my breath.

And…

She liked it!

Not only did Baby like it, but 19-year-old Bard liked it, and ten-year-old Sweetheart liked it and 14-year-old Monet liked it. They giggled over “My Mouth and Me,” nodded empathetically to “It’s Hard to Listen” and car-danced to “Just the Juice, Jack.” Katy had done it. She’d redeemed the reputation of jazz in our family.”

We could ask for no more.

Thanks very much to Ken at Daddyforever.com for sharing about Coal Train Railroad.   Go have a look over thataway- all manner of resources.  Dig deep for the Evian babies commercial. So worth it.

Look through more pictures from the show in the look section.  And keep an eye on the live page- more shows coming soon!

Big thanks to Jeff Bogle at OWTK.com – that’s Out With the Kids, by the way- for his thoughtful and glowing review of Coal Train Railroad.  Some of our favorite parts are excerpted here, but by all means go to OWTK.com, bookmark it, and visit often.  It’s a lovely vantage on all things related to kids and culture.  What a tremendous resource for parents and the rest of us who love kid-related things.

“Coal Train Railroad have made the best jazz album for kids that I’ve ever heard.  Katy Bowser’s voice is questionably great and the playing of Chris Donohue, et al. is outstanding throughout the 9 tracks, and with all that their Coal Train Railroad CD has everything you want from a jazz record – it’s snappy, cool and classy.  It also has some characteristics you may not expect from, or generally associate with, a fine jazz album; songs that are funny and charming, and with lyrical content most children will have a context for (juice, bellybuttons, snuggling, nap time, and a budding independence).

Despite coming from an indie rock background, Coal Train Railroad’s debut disc is, in many ways, the album I’ve been waiting for since starting OWTK 3.5 years ago.  It’s a CD I can spin during a dinner party, at nap time, in the car, with or without the kids around, during the girl’s bath time – pretty much at any time of day or night and in anyone’s company.

In other words, it’s versatile and beautiful.  I absolutely love this album.”

We’re so glad.

We’re hanging with the cool kids now.  We appreciate the love from Nashville’s beloved indie record store.  Eyes open for details on our upcoming in-store at Grimeys on Feb 13.  http://grimeys.com/news.html

Coal Train Railroad – Coal Train Railroad CD (Coal Train Railroad)

A children’s jazz record that totally doesn’t suck! The brainchild of singer Katy Bowser and bassist Chris Donohue (Emmylou Harris, Buddy Miller), who together co-wrote all of the songs, Coal Train Railroad also features some of Nashville’s heaviest hitters, including saxophonist Jeff Coffin and trumpeter Rod McGaha. Written from a child’s perspective and covering such important topics as bellybuttons, juice, sharing, and snuggling, the songs are inspiring kids all over the world to dance, play, and use their voices to riff along with the musicians.

But, you say, how can my kids dance to the music if we don’t HAVE the music?  Answer:  Get 2 Free Songs here!

Y’all have fun, as we say down here in Nashville.

Have a look at our Live page for upcoming shows.  Next up, Fairytales Books & More on January 23 at 10:30 am.  There’ll be some extra fun thrown in!