Jamie Broza

One of the best kids’ albums of 2005 – or any year, for that matter – My Daddy is Scratchy brims with wit, wisdom, and a musical style that runs the gamut from Broadway to Steely Dan.

- Barnes&Noble.com, May 2005

With his formidable composer's skills and stage musical sensibility, singer-songwriter Jamie Broza follows up his exceptional, insightful debut family album, Bad Mood Mom, with more slice-of-life musical truths: vegetable blues, school anxieties, the "do I have to" battle of wills, the painful downside of having an unshaven dad and the sink-into-the-ground embarrassment caused by a dad who insists on breaking into song in public places. Interviews with real kids throughout add to the authenticity of Broza's tuneful parental acumen.
- Parents’ Choice Foundation, June 2005

Bad Mood Mom - a great way to remind kids we all have difficult times. The song "Alone" starts "Sometimes your parents can be mean," while "Blankie, Piggie, Pacie" talks about the universal need for security objects. But my favorite cut is the fabulously catchy title track that assures my kids I am not the only mom in the world who occasionally freaks out. - Chicago Tribune, July 1, 2005

Backseat squabbles, waking up to pots-and-pans drumming sessions – accomplished musician and TV, film and stage composer Jamie Broza nails the rewards and challenges of parenthood with resonant wisdom, empathy, and humor from both parents’ and kids’ points of view in his first children’s album. With an expert, creative touch, Broza’s tracks play like catchy numbers from a stage-worthy musical. - Los Angeles Times

Get moody! Looking for some new car tunes for the kids? Check out Bad Mood Mom (we just love the title) from Jamie Broza. This indie artist strikes a chord with great numbers like the bluesy “I’m Six” and the mea culpa of “It’s Complicated,” about the life issues of a grade-schooler.

- New York Magazine

The songs – most of them original – are really funny. They are all about being a kid from a kid’s point of view. This is the kind of music children and parents can enjoy together. It’s real.
- Child Magazine

Ever since he came out with Bad Mood Mom, my music-loving kids have been fans (and so have I!). In My Daddy is Scratchy, Broza reveals once again the incredible talent he has for fun, empathy and all things kids: embarrassing parents, yucky vegetables, bed time resistance ... and it’s all terrific.
- Nashville Parent

Clueless, embar-rassing, and, yes, scratchy dads are some of the characters your kids might recognize in this comic fatherhood roast. Jazzy vocals and amusing stories create musical theater about family life. - Parenting Magazine

Parents are used to multitasking: holding a toddler, say, while talking on the phone and stirring a pot. Jamie Broza will demonstrate his own unusual version on Sunday: shaving while playing the piano and singing.
It's all part of his "My Daddy Is Scratchy" concert, titled after his latest children's album (Good Mood Records). "I did it at my last concert," he said. "I missed one spot, but it looked pretty good."
The moment will come during the "My Daddy Is Scratchy" song, a reference to the reaction of his 6-year-old, Carmen, to his stubble. She is to join him, as will his own father, Elliot Lawrence, music director for the Tony Awards, who will help sing "Stop It, Dad, You're Embarrassing Me" (what happens when fathers sing in front of their children) and Nora York, who will sing the mother's part in pieces like "Are We There Yet?" (no explanation needed). Mr. Broza's sons, 9 and 11, who perform on his rock- and jazz-influenced CD's, won't go onstage because of, well, embarrassment. But several children will sing backup.
"Most of the songs come from stuff that happens in our household," said Mr. Broza, who, as Jamie Lawrence, is an Emmy-winning composer for television and film. (He took the family name Broza to distinguish his children's work.) He branched into this field after performing a song, "Bad Mood Mom," at his children's school. "It struck a chord," he said.
"I got into this thing of writing songs in the first person," he added. "They're all this kid talking about himself. It's not usual, and I think it gives a personal vibe to the kids."
- New York Times, By LAUREL GRAEBER

Emmy Award winner Jamie Broza follows his popular Bad Mood Mom (2003) with a musical tribute to Dad while exploring other popular topics for youngsters along the way. Interviews with children along with a fun radio news hour are seamlessly woven among the songs. The expertly performed musical stylings include rock with a screaming guitar, country, smooth jazz, and a Broadway-style melody. This collection will delight the entire family and is a must-have for every collection.


- School Library Journal, August 11, 2005