Given my love for all things Disney (Did you see my recent #4Parks2Days series?), when Disney Music and One2One Network offered a chance for me to review the newest Jazz Loves Disney CD, you know I was thrilled to take advantage of the opportunity!
Setting out for a drive on the Blue Ridge Parkway two weeks ago, I connected my cell phone (with the Jazz Loves Disney music files on it) to my car. The goal? To calm my agitated husband down and create a relaxing atmosphere in which we could enjoy the beauty of autumn (because who doesn't like leaf looking on a beautiful fall day?).
While my husband may have continued to be moody, stuffing his ears with earphones listening to NPR and various podcasts, rather than listening to, enjoying, and contemplating the newest cd from Disney, I refused to be disheartened. Today was going to be a good day, and I knew it from the moment I heard Jamie Collum's "Everybody Wants to be A Cat".
Basically Jamie Collum took a classic and turned it up on its head providing a completely new take on the jazz song from an amazing movie. After all, Aristocats is one of my favorite Disney movies.
And the album just kept getting better from there on out. It was so much fun hearing Stacy Kent sing a French version of “Bibbidi Bobbodo Boo” and Gregory Porter's "When You Wish Upon A star" was just as calming and beautiful as the original!
Of course, there were a few songs I didn't love … Mainly anything from the Jungle Book. And there are three songs on the album from that movie. As it turns out, in my line of work (as a nanny) at some point you can just get tired of certain songs, and I've reached my limit with that movie (which is a great movie and has awesome songs if you haven't heard them 5 million + times!).
I also wasn't a fan of Anne Sila's "Let It Go". In the case with the song, I had gotten used to the song being sung one way, that I liked, and Anne Sila sang it in a completely different way. Not necessarily a bad thing, just that it will take a while (and a few more listens) to adjust my ears to the differences in the tune.
The album Jazz Loves Disney definitely had some hits and misses in my book (though the misses are mostly through no fault of their own), but the beauty of the music only enhanced and improved my Saturday leaf-looking. I would highly recommend this album to Disney fans who love jazz, or perhaps parents who are trying to put their kids to sleep. 😉 Disney has come up with some amazing music and had their songs recorded by fantastic artists over the years, and Jazz Loves Disney is no exception.
TRACK LISTING
1. Jamie Cullum – “Everybody Wants To Be A Cat” – from The Aristocats
2. Melody Gardot – “He’s A Tramp” – from Lady And The Tramp
3. Stacey Kent – “Bibbidi Bobbodo Boo” (French version) – from Cinderella
4. Gregory Porter – “When You Wish Upon A Star” – from Pinocchio
5. China Moses – “Why Don’t You Do Right” – from Who Framed Roger Rabbit?
6. Raphaël Gualazzi – “I Wanna Be Like You” – from The Jungle Book
7. The Rob Mounsey Orchestra – “A Dream Is A Wish Your Heart Makes” – from Cinderella
8. Hugh Coltman – “You’ve Got A Friend In Me” – from Toy Story
9. Anne Sila – “Let It Go” – from Frozen
10. Melody Gardot & Raphaël Gualazzi – “The Bare Necessities” – from The Jungle Book
11. Laika – “Once Upon A Dream” – from Sleeping Beauty
12. Nikki Yanofsky -“Someday My Prince Will Come” – from Snow White & The Seven Dwarfs
13. The Hot Sardines – I Wanna Be Like You (French & English version) – from The Jungle Book (US release only)
What are your thoughts on jazz artists singing Disney tunes? Is this an album you would be interested in purchasing?
Buy from iTunes here or Amazon here.
P.S. By the end of the day, the husband was also listening to the album and singing along to "Everybody Wants to Be A Cat". You just can't help but be in a good mood when you are listening to Disney music! 😊
