In this episode of Confetti Park we hear The Jungle Grapevine by author Alex Beard!
Alex is a fine artist who paints and draws beautiful animals and other inspiring sights from the natural world. He owns an art studio and gallery at 608 Julia Street where he displays his work, and which serves as a base for The Watering Hole Foundation, a nonprofit focusing on conservation. Alex wants to preserve the wilderness, natural beauty, and wildlife of our planet. He hopes that when children read his books, they will learn about the importance of conservation, even as they are entertained by the whimsical animal adventures.
The Jungle Grapevine is his first children’s book (2009). It’s a comedic game of telephone between animals in an African savannah:
When Bird mixes up something Turtle says, he accidentally starts a rumor about the watering hole drying up. One misunderstanding leads to another, with animals making their own hilarious assumptions.
No one is hearing anything right, and soon the animals are in an uproar from one end of the jungle to the other. Elephant is trumpeting, Croc is snapping, and the Flamingos are fleeing!
Julieann Banks, singer-songwriter from Shreveport, with her friend Patterson Barrett at Renzi Center
Julieann Banks is an Americana artists from Shreveport, Louisiana. A wonderful singer-songwriter with a big soulful voice, Julieann has been playing music most of her life, and has performed extensively in the Austin, Texas area as well as Louisiana.
Julieann had a childhood rich with musical and cultural experiences. Her parents were supportive of the arts and frequently took her along to symphonies, operas, and classical piano recitals. The famous Shreveport-born pianist Van Cliburn and opera star Beverly Sills were even guests at their home. But it was a live musical performance of Jesus Christ Superstar (Andrew Lloyd Weber and Tim Rice) that truly captivated Julieann’s soul:
“The hair on my arms and my neck was just standing on end, and it was just like the whole room was full of electricity. And I knew that nothing was going to stop me or get in my way, that that was exactly what I would be doing…. I knew that I wasn’t ever going to be the same.”
Frontispiece for “Forgotten Books of the American Nursery”— The Devil and the Disobedient Child.
What would you do if your mother promised to marry you to the first person who climbed up a pole to catch a pumpkin?
That’s exactly how it happened in this old Louisiana folk tale, called “The Devil’s Marriage.”
Things go from bad to worse for a young girl who finds herself married to the devil… Fortunately, she gets sympathy from his mother and manages to escape through a series of homespun trials!
“The Devil’s Marriage” is one of the Louisiana folk tales collected by Alcee Fortier, a famous researcher and professor at Tulane University in the late 1800s. Fortier was renown for his publications on the French literature of Louisiana and France and his studies on Louisiana Creoles, Acadians and Isleños.
For more of his collection of folk tales, see Louisiana Folk Tales: In French Dialect and English Translation, 1894.
Thank you to Magpie Baccinelli for narrating this Louisiana folk tale for Confetti Park!
PRESS RELEASE: New Orleans musicians collaborate on kids album We’re Going to Confetti Park! Album features Katy Hobgood Ray, Mr. Okra, a chorus of New Orleans children, and world-class musicians such as Johnny Vidacovich, Jon Erik-Kellso, Evan Christopher, Matt Perrine, Patti Adams, Roger Lewis, David Rosser, Brian Coogan, Tim Robertson, Sarah Quintana, and others.
Contact: confettipark@gmail.com or 504-650-1238.
We’re Going to Confetti Park! ftg. Katy Hobgood Ray & the Confetti Park Players
NEW ORLEANS, LA, NOVEMBER 16, 2015 — A carefree, sunny afternoon in New Orleans is now available in song format on We’re Going to Confetti Park!, an album of whimsical songs about pirates, frogs, snoballs, Roman candy, and other uniquely New Orleans experiences.
21 tracks include original songs, jump rope jingles, and fresh takes on a Lead Belly folk song and a Lincoln Chase hit featuring New Orleans’ renown drummer, Johnny Vidacovich. There’s also a special guest performance by beloved produce vendor Mr. Okra, who sings with the children on “Have You Seen the Okra Man?”
This album is the first musical release by New Orleans-based children’s media workshop Confetti Park. An award-winning children’s picture book, The Little Mouse Santi, was released earlier this year.
The principal performers are Katy Hobgood Ray and the Confetti Park Players, an all-ages children’s chorus. Their name comes from a small playground in the heart of their neighborhood of Algiers Point, on the West Bank of the Mississippi River. Led by singer-songwriter Katy Ray, the Confetti Park Players meet weekly to sing, make rhythms, share Louisiana traditions, and practice the craft of songwriting.
“The album is inspired by the joyful characters, the colorful sights and sounds, the magic moments we are lucky enough to experience every day in New Orleans,” says Katy Ray. “Some of the things a NOLA kid might experience at the park, such as playing clapping games with friends, pretending to be pirates, catching frogs and ladybugs, eating snoballs and buttermilk drops—these moments are all represented in song.”
The album was recorded by Matt Aguiluz and Jason Rhein at Marigny Recording Studio and mastered by Bruce Barielle.
“I think the songs will appeal not just to kids, but to anyone who loves Louisiana music and culture,” says Katy Ray. “Who outgrows snoballs?”
We’re Going to Confetti Park! is available on iTunes, Amazon, Google Play and CD Baby. You can also order CDs from https://confettipark.com or buy them at Louisiana Music Factory, Fleurty Girl, and Magic Box Toys in New Orleans.
We’re Going to Confetti Park! begins with a call and response between jazz trumpeter Jon Erik-Kellso and clarinetist Evan Christopher. Drummer Johnny Vidacovich, sousaphone player Matt Perrine and ace guitarist Tim Robertson fill out the opening title track, backing a chorus of children at play.
Vidacovich also leads off Lincoln Chase’s classic 1960s hit, “The Clapping Song.” The Confetti Park version features lead vocals by Keller Clark, son of Dukes of Dixieland bandleader Kevin Clark. Other musicians include trumpet player Chuck Bee, tenor saxophonist John Doheny, Dirty Dozen baritone saxophonist Roger Lewis, and guitarist Paul McDonald.
“Roman Candy Man,” a call to the beloved New Orleans taffy vendor who drives a cart pulled by a mule, features Patti Adams, solo piccoloist and assistant principal flutist with the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra. Dylan Field Turner plays field drum.
“Watch Out for the Pirates” and “Louis Lafitte, the Pirate King” feature a large chorus of pirates young and old singing about adventures on the high seas. Michael Skinkus (percussion), Beth Patterson (Irish bouzouki), Dr. Sick (fiddle), Greg Schatz (accordion), and Rick Nelson (bass) are among the featured players.
“Buttermilk Drop” is a sassy homage to the delicious New Orleans breakfast treat, featuring gypsy jazz guitarist Daniele Spadavecchia, accordionist Greg Schatz, and Bustout Burlesque trumpet player Jim Thornton.
Thornton’s excellent piccolo trumpet ability is showcased on “Snoball,” and Pretty Lights keyboardist Brian Coogan plays Rhodes piano. This song explores the existential plight of humankind through ice and flavored syrups. (Otherwise, it’s just a song about snoballs.)
“Feufollet” is a spooky tale about the swamp fires of Louisiana legend. With fae-inspired choruses by chanteuse Sarah Quintana and musical saw and fiddle by Dr. Sick, it’s the eeriest song on the album.
“Dancing on the Moon” is a pop tune written by Ted Lindsay, featuring lead vocals and bass by Jason Rhein of Rotary Downs and kid-music duo Jason & Layla, outer space-inspired electric guitar by David Rosser, and drums by Dylan Field Turner.
Rosser also backs Mr. Okra (Arthur Robinson) on his musical number, “Have You Seen the Okra Man?” with accompaniment by harmonica player Scott Albert Johnson.
Pianist Tom McDermott plays on “Lovely Little Ladybug” (with sweet lead vocals by Elisa McDonald and Charleston McLean) and on “Candy Land Ball,” a classic waltz in the style of Charles K. Harris, and inspired by the colorful children’s ball held every year in Algiers Point. This track also features strings by Rick Nelson and a wonderful sousaphone solo by Matt Perrine.
“Dream Big, Little Santi” features Tim Robertson on guitar (a backbone performer of the album) and mellotron by Katy Ray. This song is a companion piece to the children’s picture book The Little Mouse Santi by David Eugene Ray and Santiago Germano, about a mouse who dreams of being a cat. This first children’s book from Confetti Park is winner of a Moonbeam Children’s Book Award, a Kirkus star and the gold award from the Mom’s Choice Awards.
Scattered throughout the album are clapping songs, jump rope jingles, and childhood chestnuts featuring the Confetti Park Players. There is also a call-and-response interpretation of Polly Wolly Wee by Huddie Ledbetter. (Katy Ray is a longtime member of Friends of Lead Belly, a group of musicians dedicated to promoting the legacy of the north Louisiana folk singer.)
Musicians Featured on We’re Going to Confetti Park! Patti Adams, Matt Aguiluz, Chuck Bee, Evan Christopher, Brian Coogan, John Doheny, John Haffner, Scott Albert Johnson, Jon-Erik Kellso, Chris Lane, Roger Lewis, Ted Lindsay, Tom McDermott, Paul McDonald, Michelle Nelson, Rick G. Nelson, Mr. Okra, Beth Patterson, Matthew Perrine, Sarah Quintana, David Eugene Ray, Katy Hobgood Ray, Jason Rhein, Tim Robertson, David Rosser, Greg Schatz, Dr. Sick, Michael Skinkus, Daniele Spadavecchia, James G. Thornton, Dylan Field Turner, Johnny Vidacovich.
Confetti Park Players Lily Bell, Luna Bell, Keller Clark, Saura Duke, Dean Foster, Elisa McDonald, Charleston McLean, Millie Moffett, Hrilina Ramrakhiani, Louis Ray, Sadie Strong, Virginia Strong
“It was the sound of horses’ hooves that drummed and lodged…”
Louisiana poet laureate Darrell Bourque narrates a poem of childhood for Confetti Park. This is “Sunday Afternoons,” a memory of his own experiences growing in a rural Cajun community near Sunset, Louisiana.
Mr. Bourque is Professor Emeritus in English at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. He was appointed Louisiana Poet Laureate in 2007 and reappointed in 2009.
Every year when the leaves start to fall, I visit my Grandpa and we have a ball.
With snoballs, streetcars, beignets, and the Dome, New Orleans is a place he is proud to call home.
So begins this adorable love letter to New Orleans, as told through the eyes of a child who is visiting her grandfather.
Many of the sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and wonderful attractions of the city are featured in this aural tour of New Orleans. From the Audubon Zoo to City Park, from the Mississippi River to the Lake Pontchartrain, Patricia Reece of Slidell, Louisiana gathers up the aspects of New Orleans that she has learned to cherish through a loving, nurturing relationship (and friendship) with her grandpa.
For Patricia and her grandfather, nothing can beat Gumbo, Fried Cheese, the Saints and Drew Brees.
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, right here in Louisiana. This medley of kids music shows the diversity of Louisiana musicians. Songs featured in this episode, in order:
The Confetti Park podcast,hosted by Katy Hobgood Ray, features music and stories spun in Louisiana. Sparkling interviews, in-studio performances, delightful music medleys, jokes, local author storytime, and a little surprise lagniappe make for an entertaining show!
In this episode of Confetti Park, we hear a childhood music memory from David Rosser, a talented guitarist and multi instrumentalist who lives in New Orleans. Dave shares about how his big brother was one of his greatest musical influences—and how they bonded and he learned from listening to records—especially the Beatles!
Dave has toured the world several times with different musical groups. He also produces, records, and mixes at his studio, Chateau Daveaux. Among those who he has performed and/or recorded with are the Afghan Whigs, the Twilight Singers, Mark Broussard, Ani Di Franco, Gal Holiday, Terry McDermott, Mark Lanegan Band, and the Gutter Twins.
Westwego’s own Mel Lecompte, Jr. explores this conundrum in his colorful children’s tale, The Ice Cream Cow. Here he narrates for Confetti Park! Available for purchase on Amazon
Living on a farm with her friends the Chocolate Chip Chicken and the Soda Pop Duck, the Ice Cream Cow has a problem. While there are many things she can do — such as hop like a kangaroo — the poor cow does not moo. Kids will love the rhythmic tale of the cherry-topped, polka-dotted bovine and the quest for her true voice. Savvy parents who read this story to their little ones will enjoy scanning the illustrations for inside references meant to keep big people’s eyes in the book and not on their watches.
Mel is an elementary school teacher, an award-winning journalist and cartoonist, a musician and an entertainer (check out his band Mel and the Moodoggies), and a dad who writes and illustrates his own books, including T-Boy and the Terrible Turtle.
From the swamps of the Atchafalaya Basin comes The Ghost Tree, a tale so terrifying that children will never forget its warning, and will never look at oak trees the same.
The story of three brothers who defy their parents on All Hallow’s Eve was written by musician Yvette Landry of Breaux Bridge. We are so delighted that Yvette narrated her spooky story for Confetti Park! It is a winner of the 2015 Louisiana Young Readers’ Choice Award.
The story begins in her ancestral home, the small, somewhat isolated community of Isle Labbé, and ends in the swamps of the Atchafalaya Basin. Her grandfather tells her of an ancient Native American legend: A cursed tree that comes to life every Halloween. Unlucky travelers who stumble across the tree on that fateful night are never seen again. He would know after all, he’s the only one ever to survive an encounter with … The Ghost Tree.
From her website: Yvette Landry grew up in Breaux Bridge, Louisiana, not far from the levees of the Atchafalaya Basin, North America’s largest swampland. It was in and around that swamp where she learned to hunt, fish, ride horses, dance, understand French, and tell stories.
After earning a master’s degree in education and developing a successful teaching career, she began telling stories through song. The songs were a hit, and so was Yvette. Playing a variety of instruments in several Cajun bands, Yvette also fronts her own band.
Her debut award-winning album titled “Should Have Known” was released in 2010. Over the past several years, Yvette has traveled the world and played countless cultural festivals from the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival to the GrassRoots Festival of Music and Dance in New York. She toured Russia and served as a Cultural Ambassador on behalf of the Library of Congress to perform at the Festival of Traditional American Music.
Learn more about Yvette Landry’s music and stories and her marvelous career on her website, http://yvettelandry.com/.
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, right here in Louisiana.
This medley of kids music shows the diversity of Louisiana musicians. Songs featured in this episode, in order:
The Confetti Park radio show and podcast,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!
In this edition of Confetti Park, we have a very special reading by Louisiana children’s author Johnette Downing. This is a narration of her new book, The Fifolet.
The fifolet (or feufollet) is a very spooky Louisiana legend that appears frequently in Cajun and Houmas Indian folklore. The say that the fifolet are swamp spirits making lights deep in the swamps…… Great big eerie balls of light, that seem to float above the water, and beckon the watcher to follow! Interestingly, this kind of legend appears not just Louisiana culture, but around the world. (Ever heard of the will o’ the wisps in Europe or ghost lights in Japan?)
Different explanations blame supernatural spirits, or mischievous elves and fairies, or even the lost souls of pirates guarding lost treasures in the swamp. And some people say it’s nothing but phosphorescent swamp gas making the blue fire.
In her book, which was illustrated by Jennifer Lindsley, Johnette Downing tells about the fifolet through the experience of fisherman Jean-Paul Pierre, who has his heart set on finding the fifolet’s buried treasure.
“Through cypress trees and beards of moss, there is a fire spirit that you never want to cross. It will tease you and coax you and draw you near, but all the Cajuns know that you better beware.”
Worth noting is that the music to this story was also written and performed by Johnette. The music is actually from a song about another swamp creature known in Louisiana: the loup garoup, featured on her CD From the Gumbo Pot.
In this episode of Confetti Park we hear The Jungle Grapevine by author Alex Beard!
