Spotlight – GRAMMY Nominees Wendy & DB

Chicago-based duo Wendy & DB (Wendy Morgan and Darryl Boggs) introduced families to the Blues with their GRAMMY-nominated album, Into the Little Blue House. From the album’s opening notes filled with wailing harmonica and bluesy guitar, listeners know that they are in for something special. Working with a cadre of Chicago-blues musicians and frequently backed by a talented children’s choir, Wendy & DB created a one-of-a-kind musical tapestry that combined relatable subject matter and tidbits from the history of the blues with rich melodies and top-notch musical performances.

This mark’s Wendy & DB’s first GRAMMY nomination. Kids Rhythm and Rock recently caught up with Wendy to learn a little more about this talented pair.

This is your first GRAMMY nomination. What was it like hearing your names announced?

We had just finished a show. I picked up my phone figuring I would have texts from friends if we got a nomination, and the texts were coming in, one after another, congratulating us on our nomination. I was so happy it brought both tears and excitement. I told DB, and we literally started jumping up and down! We were together when we heard the news, so that made the moment even more special. I tried to do a live video, but my hand was shaking so much I couldn’t capture the moment. It was amazing!

While you have both performed for adult audiences, it’s clear that you have a true passion for entertaining young listeners. What is it that makes children’s music so special?

Children are the future. Children are the hope, and we have the amazing job of keeping them hopeful through our music. Also, adults need to reminded how to be silly again, and in live shows every child brings an adult.

What is next for Wendy & DB?

We are already working on another album with Dean Jones (Dog on Fleas). We want to use our nomination platform, or whatever platform we are given, to spread the love and diversity, and sound alarms on environmental concerns and human injustices around the world.

Is there anything else that you would like to share?

We are in a wonderful community of very special independent musicians. We will support other musicians in their efforts to do their meaningful and important work with young audiences. How amazing to have this opportunity to share the space with our talented fellow nominees: Justin Roberts, Alphabet Rockers, Divinity Roxx and Lucky Diaz and Alisha.  We are so appreciative to the teachers, librarians, families, children and adults that make up our audience.  Your support of our music and live shows means everything to us!

2022 Children’s Music Round Up

Welcome to Kids Rhythm and Rock’s annual Children’s Music Round Up! For those of you new to the site, at the end of each year, rather than doing a “Top 10” or a “Best of” list, I compile a list of albums that have come to my attention during the last 12 months and separate them into fun categories. The total number of albums that are included varies from year-to-year. This year 45 albums make an appearance in the list below.

The richness and depth that is family music just keeps growing. 2022 saw the introduction of new artists, established acts returning after creative hiatuses, and veteran performers taking risks and trying something new. Let’s say hello to 2023 by taking a look back at the “year that was” in children’s music. All albums are available online. Don’t see your favorites? Please add them in the comments.

Be Mindful, Be Kind

Music to guide our everyday lives.

  • For Children of All Ages performed by You and Us
  • Happy Day performed by Jenn Cleary
  • Just a Minute performed by Jesse Jukebox
  • Mosaic performed by Jumpin’ Jamie
  • Nursery Rhymes for Kinder Times performed by Raffi and Lindsay Monroe
  • Your Voice is Magic performed by Again Again

Dynamic Duos

Sometimes it’s just more fun to sing with a friend.

  • Best Day Ever performed by Stacey & Athena
  • Dear Heart performed by Martin and Rose
  • The Greats performed by Louis & Dan and the Invisible Band
  • Smith & Yarn performed by Aaron Nigel Smith and Red Yarn

Festival de Música

Music in Spanish and English for the whole family to enjoy.

  • Los Fabulosos performed by Lucky Diaz and the Family Jam Band
  • Mi Colores performed by Nathalia
  • Musiquita performed by Musiquita

Oh, to be Young

Perfect tunes for the preschool crowd

  • Let’s Move performed by Katie Dwyer
  • Echo Songs, Vol. 2 performed by Noodle Loaf
  • Forgot My Oars performed by Tim Seston
  • Rain Rain Go Away performed by Adam Steele
  • Wondering performed by Music with Gina

Our Friends to the South

2022 was the year when music from Australia and New Zealand arrived on the scene.

Potpourri

This was always my favorite category on Jeopardy! 

Rockin’ Rhythms

I’m a little bit rock ‘n’ roll!

Sweet Home, Chicago

All of these artists call Chicagoland home.

The Children Are Our Future

These groups put young people front and center in creating and performing music that educates, entertains, and uplifts all those who listen to it.

  • The Movement performed by Alphabet Rockers
  • Multiply performed by The Wise Channel

Unique Musical Stylings

There was nothing else quite like these albums this year.

  • Adults These Days performed by Greg Lato
  • Dark Side of the Banana performed by Go Banana Go!
  • Dinosaurs and Monsters performed by Howdytoons
  • Mammal Music performed by Marko Polo

Unstoppable Beats

Music to get you moving and grooving.

Best Children’s Album GRAMMY 2023 Nominees

It’s the most wonderful time of the year – the GRAMMY Award Nominations! The 65th annual GRAMMY award nominations were announced today. To be eligible for the award, a children’s album must contain at least 51% playing time of new musical or spoken word recordings that are created and intended specifically for children and released between October 1, 2021 and September 30, 2022. The depth and variety of children’s music this year was truly incredible. Congratulations to all of the nominees and to all the artists who created such amazing music this year. The GRAMMY Awards will be announced on Sunday, February 5.

Into the Little Blue House performed by Wendy & DB

Los Fabulosos performed by Lucky Diaz and the Family Jam Band

The Movement performed by Alphabet Rockers

Ready Set Go performed by Divinity Roxx

Space Cadet performed by Justin Roberts

Song Premiere – “Little Blue House”

For a very long time, only a handful of musical genres were represented in children’s music. Then came kindie music which started to break away from the “traditional” styles and sounds that were offered for kids. With the door now open to artists from outside that traditional mold, we’ve begun to see music that truly reflects the listening preferences of families by spanning a multitude of genres including country, rock, jazz, hip hop, and now, the blues.

With their new album, Into the Little Blue House, Chicago-based Wendy & DB (Wendy Morgan and Darryl Boggs) give a Master Class in creating the blues for young listeners. Combing their love of entertaining and educating children through music, Wendy & DB crafted a collection of songs that both teach children traditional blues tunes as well as introduces listeners to songs that lift them up in both mind and spirit. The album is given layers of depth with guest vocalists and an entire crew of Chicago blues musicians.

“Little Blue House” is the perfect first track for Into the Little Blue House . With lyrics that encourage listeners to feel free to express their feelings and really be themselves, “Little Blue House” strikes all the right chords as it welcomes young folks into the rich world of the blues. Take a listen below. Into the Little Blue House will be available on Friday.

HomeEarth by Wendy & DB

Out just in time for Earth Day program planning, HomeEarth by Chicago duo Wendy & DB, is a real treat. The album opens with the title song “HomeEarth,” a fun introduction to the planets and the galaxy, then takes listeners to ground level where the importance of living things is explored. “Olly the Orca,” “Bugs That Give Hugs” and the joy of growing a garden and giving to others in “Plant a Seed” are all given their moment to shine in the sun.

Many of the tunes on this album could easily be incorporated into programming or storytimes. The songs “Buzzin’ Bee Be Happy” and “I Like Bees” would be great tunes to build a bee awareness program around. After sharing information about bees, attendees could make bee themed shakers then “perform” to one or both of these songs. Need to get the kids up and moving? Try “Hopscotch” which pays tribute to the classic children’s sidewalk game, or “We Bop” which instructs listeners to Take two steps hop one back/Turn it around jump off the track/and STOP We Bop. Quick tempoed, these songs will help children get the wiggles out and be ready to listen.

Also included in this collection are several songs that would work great as conversation starters in classroom or family settings. “Water Song” talks about the importance of the availability of water and digging wells around the world while the themes of diversity and acceptance are emphasized in “People are People” and “It Takes All Kinds of Trucks (Folks).” On a very basic level, “It Takes All Kinds” is a comprehensive list of the wide variety of trucks that are used throughout society and will be of great interest to those really young ones who are going through a truck phase. At a higher level, older listeners will hear the message of acceptance woven in among the trucks.

The upbeat tempos, catchy melodies and smart lyrics highlighting the importance of loving the Earth and everything on it, makes this an album that librarians, teachers and parents will all love.

It’s a Doo Da Day!

doodadaywebLast week we had the great privilege of hosting Wendy & DB at our library. Back in August I reviewed their album It’s a Doo Da Day for School Library Journal. The album had great empowering messages about being yourself and owning your feelings while at the same time being a lot of fun. At the time, I thought it would be a perfect album for family or classroom listening  but didn’t clearly see how to use it in storytime. Then, I saw Wendy & DB perform.

 

20161108_110611

 

 

Wow! That’s all I can say. Just wow! Their 45-minute performance was filled with such energy and excitement. Every song had an interactive component, most of which had the kids up and moving. The title track, “It’s a Doo Da Day” has a catchy chorus and wraps around the classic children’s tune, “You Are My Sunshine” making it the perfect way to start the show. Once everyone was warmed up, it was full speed ahead with rocking songs like “I Love My Body” and “Pink Flamingo,” where each child was given a pink sock to use as a flamingo, then invited to act out all of the things that the flamingo does in the song. Things slowed down in the gentle “It’s Ok Being You,” which teaches children that if they are feeling blue or green or red, it’s ok. As each verse introduced a new color, the children were given scarves that color to dance with, creating a delightful rainbow of movement.

All of the songs on It’s a Doo Da Day are a joy to listen to. Wendy & DB are working on their next album, and I for one, can’t wait. Get more information about the duo, as well as listen to a couple of the songs off their album here.