Sings For Children

Performer: Leadbelly
Distributor: Ryko Distribution

Notes: Personnel includes: Leadbelly (vocals, 12-string guitar); Oleander Quartet (vocals). Engineers include: Moses Asch, Frederic Ramsey, Jr. Recorded between 1941 and 1948. Includes liner notes by Jeff Place. All tracks have been digitally mastered using HDCD technology. If the concept of a children's album fills you with unpleasant thoughts of Raffi or Barney the Dinosaur, fear not--LEADBELLY SINGS FOR CHILDREN is a delightful alternative. Originally compiled in the '50s, some years after Huddie "Leadbelly" Ledbetter's death, these 1941-1948 tracks highlight the playful folk side of Leadbelly's music. Many traditional folk songs, such as "Skip to My Lou" and "Blue-Tailed Fly (Jimmie Crack Corn)" are thought of as kiddie music now, but to Leadbelly, they were no less important than supposedly more "adult" fare like his classic "Midnight Special" and the handful of gospel standards here. Hearing them collected together like this, the common bonds of these songs are self-evident. Even silly tunes like "The Pig Latin Song" have a depth and richness to them. LEADBELLY SINGS FOR CHILDREN is the rare children's album that'll get a lot of play even in kid-free homes.

Dirty Linen (2-3/00, p.80) - "...this is a treat for all ages, especially when the songs include not only kids' tunes like 'Skip to My Lou' and 'Blue-Tailed Fly' but spirituals, blues, and work songs....This is as timeless as American music gets."

The embodiment of the link between folk and blues, Lousiana-born Leadbelly (Huddie Ledbetter) possessed a powerful voice and the creative fervor to fashion his observations and heartfelt passions into riveting songs. An itinerant singer/guitarist, he performed in between working odd jobs and spending time in prison for his violent outbursts. Twice he gained pardon from long prison sentences with his songs. After Leadbelly's second pardon, in 1934, the recordings folklorist Alan Lomax made of him brought the singer national success. Whether conscious of his influence or not, nearly all folk and blues singers can trace their musical lineage back to him. He's responsible for many songs that have become part of America's cultural heritage.

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