Baby Loves Jazz (by Baby Loves Jazz Band, Children's Music)

Baby Loves Jazz includes jazz "covers" of traditional children's songs that had me singing along, dancing with my toddler, and truly enjoying myself. The vocals (including some amazing scat) are crazy-fun, and the band is incredible. These are all accomplished jazz musicians, so the sound is authentic and true; but because they are familiar songs, the jazz was more accessible. Songs like "Working on the Railroad" and "The Wheels on the Bus" are jazzed up to the point where you will never sing them to your child the same way again. Many of the tracks incorporate children singing along or responding to the music, but this is handled well. The kiddies sound engaged and spontaneous rather than painfully coached, and that makes a tremendous difference. The only downer for me was that the songs are interspersed with brief commercial-like introductions of various instruments (trumpet, piano, etc.), which interrupted the groove of the album and seemed unnecessary. The greatest strength of this album, in my view, is its ability to inspire parents to sing, dance, and enjoy music with their young children. This music is irresistable.