Raina's kids songs

Raina Krangle has made a classic kids album, filled with familiar tunes to sing along to as well as some sharp originals that'll get stuck in your craw. Beginning with Crocodile Guy, she takes us on a journey and sings with a kid (her son?) in a way that's fresh, appealing, and inviting. As a family entertainer myself, I often wonder if I sing differently for kids, or why kids like my work as opposed to others. I think there are many reasons, and I don't think there's a vocal production technique that's targeted to children, but there's a certain quality of openness, of wonder, of discovery that I think is communicated through the voice, and Krangle's got it in spades. Her guitar playing, while not stellar, is adequate, and is the perfect accompaniment to her simple, heartfelt tunes.

Great renditions of You Are My Sunshine, Twinkle Twinkle, and Wheels on the Bus, interspersed with tuneful, cute originals, my favorite being Summer Vacation. Anytime you can fit 'calamine lotion' into your lyric, you're all right by me! The album finishes off with an adorable rendition of the hit song 'Tomorrow' from Annie, first sung by the young (6ish) Raina with coaching help from her grandfather, which segues into a beautiful piano vocal rendition from the mature artist. Though not too mature, I assure you! This excellent cd should secure her many new fans and much work. -Dan Cohen - Muses Muse Songwriting Website

http://www.chch.com/agh-2nd-annual-family-picnic/ - CHCH TV

It's a compilation album called "A Mighty Tribe" and features 16 heartfelt performances by some of the area's top artists, including LeE HARVeY OsMOND (a.k.a. Tom Wilson), Harlan Pepper, Gordie Tapp, The Dinner Belles, Mimi Shaw Kim Koren, the Killin' Time Band, and Dawn and Marra, and Dylan Hudecki with some help from his Casa North class at the Dundas Valley Montessori School.

Some of the songs are written expressly for the album, like Michelle Titian's touching "Luca's Song," written for her young son), and Matthew de Zoete's "Wallace Is My Duck," sung as a duet with his daughter Margot.
Others are old standards like "Itsby Bitsy Spider," performed by Raina Krangle and Brian Siegel. There's even the traditional country singalong "Will the Circle Be Unbroken," recorded on a Flamborough farm with Tapp on the lead vocals, backed by the Killin' Time Band, The Dinner Belles and Gord Lewis of Teenage Head.

The album opens with LeE HARVeY OsMOND "This Old Man." You might think that Tom Wilson's droning vocal growl might render the traditional children's counting song a tad … ahem … ominous, if not downright scary.

But no, the children like it.

A couple of years ago, Kittredge-Fox decided to put her music contacts to use by producing "A Mighty Tribe." With Wilson's help she started asking friends to participate. Before long others started asking if they could be on the album, as well.

"Every musical person wants to write or play a children's song, because it keeps them young," Kittredge-Fox says.
Wilson, now a grandfather of two, gave her some tips on how to get the record mixed and mastered. He even donated four of his paintings for cover art. Local audiophile Alek Bromke offered up his Ice Nine Studio in Copetown for recording sessions.

With the help of some musical friends, Kittredge-Fox will officially launch "A Mighty Tribe" and her latest book, "Owl on the Prowl," on Saturday at 11 a.m. at Bryan Prince Book Sellers, 1060 King St. W., in Westdale. She'll also bring some friends along for a Mighty Tribe performance on Sunday at 3 p.m. at the Art Gallery of Hamilton, and again on Saturday, Dec. 6, 11:30 a.m. at the Dundas Historical Museum.

"A Mighty Tribe" is also available through the website www.bookbus.ca, local Chapters, Coles, Indigo, Records on Wheels, and Dr. Disc. One dollar from every CD sold goes to the Telling Tales Festival, an annual story-telling event held at Westfield Heritage Village in Rockton.


grockingham@thespec.com - Hamilton Spectator