Play On

I've mentioned it a few times in this space, but it's official now: Today is the release of a CD I helped make with my old film-school and campus newspaper colleague Susan Lambert: O Baby Mine: Sing a Song of Shakespeare, a collection of songs based on and/or inspired by Will's works and words, geared toward kids but (we hope) also bearable listening for their whole family. I can quote from an actual press release from Ken Werther:

O Baby Mine: Sing A Song of Shakespeare is for anyone who wants to share their love of theatre, music, and the Bard and his language with their families. Featuring eight songwriters and 14 tracks, Shakespeare plays represented include Twelfth Night, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Tempest, The Two Gentlemen of Verona, Romeo and Juliet, Much Ado About Nothing, The Comedy of Errors, As You Like It, Macbeth, and King Lear. The composers are (in alphabetical order) Raymond Bokhour, Sean Galuszka, Rob Kendt, Susan Lambert, Cinco Paul, Madison Scheckel, and David Tobocman. The project was conceived by Susan Lambert, who also acts as executive producer.

I was happy to contribute a number of originals and semi-originals (a Dixieland take on Shubert's "Who Is Sylvia?" would be in the latter category), but I have to give special props to the versatile, dulcet-voiced Madison Scheckel, who also contributed some lovely originals and played all over a bunch of the tunes; to my old friend Cinco Paul (yes, that Cinco Paul), who came in to play trombone on "Sylvia," and then sat down and played this sparkling new song about the Bard's contributions to the language; to crack drummer/producer Matt North, who added parts from his Nashville studio; and to Raymond Bokhour, who lent his guitar to a couple of his own originals, culled from productions he's appeared in over the years. I'm particularly happy with this expansive take on the closer of As You Like It, "In Springtime":

You can buy the CD here, and you will soon be able to download tracks here. Let the music play on.