Country Goes Raffi
Country Goes Raffiis the kind of feel-good disc for kids and parents that's destined to be played again and again. Raffi's music has always had an uplifting spirit, and his durable and gentle voice has made him a defining artist for kids who have grown up in the past 25 years. So it should be no surprise that when 13 of country's coolest singers and groups, fromAsleep at the WheeltoKathy Mattea, salute him, the result is an unbridled success. Whether it's the very young country starBilly Gilmanserenading with "Baby Beluga,"Marty Stuartcelebrating organic farmers in "Naturally," orRhonda Vincent's sweet version of "Bananaphone," your smile just grows as the CD spins.Alison's Krauss's "Blessed Be" ought be playing in every home and on every station these days. But it's "Blue White Planet," Raffi's new song, which he sings, that joyfully transcends all the happy moments and wonderfully frames our blue orb in the proper poetic context that the cosmos intended for it.--Martin Keller