Confetti Park Children's Workshop

Tag: louis armstrong

  • Music Medley: Pizza on Earth

    Music Medley: Pizza on Earth

    ‘Tis the season for holiday music!

    peace-on-earth-greeting

    More holiday music, stories and songs for you and your family to enjoy. I hope you enjoy the culture and holiday spirit I’m sharing from Louisiana, the Mississippi Delta, and beyond.

    The Confetti Park radio show is a weekly 30-minute program that streams online and airs in cities across the United States, made available for free to all community radio stations on the Pacifica Network. We’re going to enjoy the music of the season all this month—Christmas carols, and Hanukkah songs of light,  as well as sweet stories to make you smile. Thanks for joining me, your host, Katy Hobgood Ray!

    It’s Christmas – Imagination Movers
    Joke of the Day – Pizza on Earth
    Burn Little Candles – Judy Caplan Ginsburgh
    Blue Christmas – Belton Richard
    Winter Wonderland – Vince Vance
    Sleigh Ride – Matt Perrine
    Santa Claus is Comin’ To Town – narrated by Louis Ray
    ‘Zat You, Santa Claus? – Louis Armstrong
    Jingle Bells – Harry Fontenot
    Deck the Halls – Robert Kingrob Harris

    “The holiday season is lots of fun, we celebrate when the year is done,
    Come together now everyone—It’s Christmas!
    An Hanukkah, too! Well, happy Kwanzaa! Season’s Greetings to you!”     —the Imagination Movers

    All about the music

    On this episode, “Pizza on Earth,”we start off with the high energy Imagination Movers, with some of their original Christmas music! “It’s Christmas!”—and Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa, and Children’s Day.

    This is followed by “Burn Little Candles,” a song of Hanukkah by Judy Caplan Ginsburgh of Alexandria, La. Judy is a rabbi, in addition to a prolific children’s musician and educator. 

    There is lots of Cajun Christmas music in this episode—enjoy Belton Richard, Harry Fontenot, and Robert Kingrob Harris, all with delightful performances of classics. 

    And you’ll also hear the inimitable Vince Vance and his Valiants, and their unique version of “Winter Wonderland,” sousaphonist Matt Perrine with a rousing “Sleigh Ride,” and the great Louis Armstrong with “‘Zat You, Santa Claus?”

    Also featured in this episode is Confetti Park Storytime with Justin Wilson, a beloved Cajun chef, comedian, and storyteller. This Louisiana legend, who passed away several years ago, is emerging for a new generation, as his music and stories have been digitized and re-released, and a new food products line of spices, pickles, and more is available in stores and online. Thank you to the estate of Justin Wilson for contributing to Confetti Park.

    The Confetti Park radio show and podcast is supported by the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Foundation and Music Rising at Tulane University.

    Thanks for listening. Remember to look for the magic in every day!

  • Music Medley: Snow Bank

    Music Medley: Snow Bank

    snowmanLet the holiday music commence!

    It’s the most magical time of the year…and we are feeling the holiday magic in Confetti Park! I hope you enjoy the culture I’m sharing from Louisiana, the Mississippi Delta, and beyond.

    The Confetti Park radio show is a weekly 30-minute program that streams online and airs in cities across the United States, made available for free to all community radio stations on the Pacifica Network. We’re going to enjoy the music of the season all this month on every episode. There will be Christmas carols, Hanukkah songs of light, and children’s favorites all month long here in Confetti Park, as well as sweet stories to make you smile. Thanks for joining me, your host, Katy Hobgood Ray!

    Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer – Fats Domino
    Joke of the Day – Snow Bank
    Here Comes Santa Claus (Right Down Santa Claus Lane) – Elvis Presley
    Christmas in Tennessee – Amy Grant and Kid Pan Alley
    Christmas in New Orleans – Louis Armstrong
    It Came Upon a Midnight Clear – Michael Doucet
    Blue Christmas – Linnzi Zaorkski
    Mele Kalikimaka – Debbie Davis & Matt Perrine

    All about the music

    On this episode, Snow Bank, we start off with the delightful Fats Domino, singing about everyone’s favorite reindeer.

    The we hear from the one and only Elvis Presley, singing “Here Comes Santa Claus.” I bet kids of all ages, even young ones today know that voice… Now, while I still call New Orleans home, I recently took a wonderful job at St. Jude Children’s Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee. That’s where Elvis lived and first recorded!

    So let’s hear another song from the Volunteer State… enjoy Amy Grant and Kid Pan Alley with “Christmas in Tennessee,” followed by the great jazz trumpeter Louis Armstrong with “Christmas in New Orleans.” How fun to compare the lyrics! They both begin with verses about the distinctive trees of the regions.

    Christmas in Tennessee
    The leaves are changing colors, they’re falling off the trees
    I know it won’t be long now till it’s Christmas in Tennessee.
    I hope somewhere that Santa Claus is thinking about you and me.
    He’s gonna bring us lots of toys when it’s Christmas in Tennessee.

    Christmas in New Orleans
    Magnolia trees at night, Sparkling bright,
    Fields of cotton look wintery white
    When it’s Christmas time in New Orleans
    A barefoot choir in prayer fills the air,
    Mississippi folks are gathering there,
    ‘Cuz it’s Christmas time in New Orleans.

    Next we hear from the marvelous Cajun musician Michael Doucet with “It Came Upon a Midnight Clear, followed by a jazzy version of “Blue Christmas” by Louisiana chanteuse Linnzi Zaorkski (who was raised in Alexandria and Shreveport and now calls Bush, Louisiana home). Last we hear a Hawaiian Christmas song, “Mele Kalikimaka,” performed by singer Debbie Davis & sousaphonist Matt Perrine, a married couple who are busy musicians in New Orleans (as are their musical kids).

    Also featured in this episode are two delighted holiday stories. One is a fun little tale from Justin Wilson, an old Cajun cook from Roseland, with “Santa Claus and the Mouse.” And we hear “The Kitty at the Manger” told by Mary Jean Chester of Des Allemands, Louisiana.

    The Confetti Park radio show and podcast is supported by the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Foundation and Music Rising at Tulane University.

    Thanks for listening. Remember to look for the magic in every day!

  • Music Medley: 7-8-9

    Music Medley: 7-8-9

    numbers-7-8-9Welcome to Confetti Park, a place where you can listen to kids music and hear stories, poems, jumprope jingles, and learn about the culture of Louisiana and the Mississippi Delta. I’m Katy Hobgood Ray, your host.  In New Orleans we are celebrating our 300th birthday this year. New Orleans was founded in 1718 by Bienville, and the city and Louisiana are known for having a unique mix of cultural influences: French, Spanish, African, German, Native American, and many other peoples … that is why we have such unique food and music.

    This is a music medley of songs featured on the show this week.

    • Give Me A Squeeze Please – Buckwheat Zydeco
    • Joke of the Day – 7-8-9
    • Swamp Stomp – Angela Mannino
    • Whistle While You Work – Louis Armstrong
    • Twinkle Twinkle – Ayana of the Renzi Center
    • Sharing – a poem by Marcus Page
    • Fingers Under the Door – Vivi Melody
    • Hide and Seek – Jazzy Ash
    • L.O.S.T. – Imagination Movers
    • Je Veux Marier – Magnolia Sisters

    This episode of Confetti Park begins with a song by Buckwheat Zydeco, a famous zydeco musician. Zydeco is a kind of music that was created in Louisiana, by Cajun French, African and Native American people blending all their sounds. Buck is going to tell us all about a very important instrument of zydeco music….. the accordion.

    Then we hear from Angela Mannino with “Swamp Stomp”…. Angela is a New orleans Native who now lives in NY where she is a renowned soprano opera singer… we are lucky to have her singing several great Louisiana kids songs on this album.

    We also hear famous jazz trumpeter Louis Armstrong, performing a song from Disney’s Snow White…. You might remember seven dwarves singing this… “Whistle While You Work.”

    Ayana, a student at the Shreveport based Renzi Center, and New Orleans poet Marcus Page share their poems, and then we hear a little run of hide and seek songs, beginning with NOLA native Vivi Melody. The Imagination Movers are perhaps Louisiana’s most famous kids music band. Jazzy Ash, who is terrific fun, lives in Los Angeles but spent her childhood summers on the West bank of New Orleans. She plays Dixieland style kids music.

    We end with the Magnolia Sisters, a Cajun band from Lafayette Louisiana. “Je Veux Marier,” which translates to“I want to marry,” is a fun song to dance to at a Cajun wedding.

    Also in this episode of Confetti Park is the storytime feature Louis Lion, When It Gets Dark I May Start Cryin, by Cindy Foust of Monroe, Louisiana. Cindy has a whole Alpha-kidZ children’s book series. Each letter of the alphabet gets a feature story and a feature creature who has an adventure… and learns a valuable lesson.

    You can listen to all the stories you hear on this radio show on our free Confetti Park podcast. The Confetti Park radio show and podcast is supported by the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Foundation and Music Rising at Tulane University.

    Thanks for listening. Remember to look for the magic in every day!

  • Music Medley: Time Flies

    Music Medley: Time Flies

    Confetti Park: A music medley of children’s songs from Louisiana

    Happy New Year! Enjoy this new medley of family friendly songs created by Louisiana artists. This episode of Confetti Park, which airs in its entirety on the lucky radio stations listed below, has songs that appeal to children of all ages that reach back through generations. The music reflects the variety of sounds that come from our fertile Mississippi valley. Also featured in this episode, the storytime feature Swamp Kids: The Lost Chord, narrated by author by Leif Pedersen, and a music memory from Judy Caplan Ginsburgh of Alexandria.

    flying clockSongs featured in this episode, in order:

    Careless Love Blues – Danny Barker
    Joke of the Day – Time Flies
    Freight Train – Jeremy Lyons
    Lady With The Alligator Purse – Johnette Downing
    Gummy Bear – narrated by Louis Ray
    Arkansas Tongue Twister – Sun Pie Barnes
    You Gotta Sing – Judy Caplan Ginsburgh
    Jeepers Creepers – Louis Armstrong
    Deux Cocodries – Michael Doucet with Family & Friends

     

    About Confetti Park

    The Confetti Park hosted by Katy Hobgood Ray, features music and stories spun in Louisiana. It showcases songs that kids love, songs created for kids, and songs created by kids. Sparkling interviews, in-studio performances, delightful music medleys, jokes, local author storytime, and a little surprise lagniappe make for an entertaining show!

    Subscribe on iTunes

    The radio program version launched on April 4, 2015 in New Orleans on WHIV FM and is supported by the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Foundation and Music Rising at Tulane University.

    Current broadcast schedule:

    A full list of Confetti Park stations (and a map) is available at https://confettipark.com/podcast/

    Community radio stations, interested in carrying Confetti Park? Contact Katy Ray.

     

     

  • A Christmas Music Medley from Louisiana: Snow & Tell

    A Christmas Music Medley from Louisiana: Snow & Tell

    Snow falls over streetcars in New Orleans. Photo by Sally Asher.
    A rare snow falls over Saint Charles Avenue streetcars in New Orleans. Photo by Sally Asher.

    Confetti Park is a community radio program out of New Orleans. We feature local storytellers and songs that kids love, songs created for kids, or created by kids, inspired by life here Louisiana. This is a special Christmas medley of songs that kids of all ages will love…. it certainly showcases the diversity of our Louisiana sound!

    Songs featured in this episode, in order:

    Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer –  Fats Domino
    Joke of the Day – Snow & Tell
    I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus – Hadley Castille & The Louisiana Cajun Band
    Zat You, Santa Claus? – Louis Armstrong
    Sleigh Ride – Debbie Davis & Matt Perrine
    Mele Kalikimaka – Debbie Davis & Matt Perrine
    Winter Wonderland – Linnzi Zaorski
    It Came Upon a Midnight Clear – Michael Doucet 

    Also featured in this episode, Rosemary the Garden Fairy teaches us about the beautiful amaryllis. We hear “A Christmas Song” composed and performed by Zoey of the Confetti Park Players, a music memory from Crystal Thomas, and the story JuJu Saves Christmas in da Bayou, narrated by author Michelle Hirstius.