Sea Music
OnSea Music, formerDel Fuegosfrontman turned kid's music songster Dan Zanes performs a set of old sea shanties in a rough-hewn but charming manner. He takes songs that have been worn smooth from constant use, artfully scuffs them up, and restores them to their former "ragged but right" glory. His performance of "Shenandoah," for example, features some fineLeadbelly-style 12-string guitar picking and an anguished vocal that almost erases the memory of the polite, formal choral arrangements that usually smother the song. And his "Sloop John B" sails along on jaunty banjos and mandolins rather than the slick harmonies of theBeach Boys' version. These shanties were originally created by sailors as work songs, and consequently they have choruses that are perfect for singing along. Zanes is joined on many tracks by an enthusiastic chorus of kids who are obviously having a wonderful time belting out the sometimes salty lyrics. As with all of Zanes's recordings for children, adults are likely to find themselves listening to this wonderful music even when the kids aren't underfoot.--Michael John Simmons