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A Rock ‘n’ Roll Kindergarten with New Big Jeff and His Middle-Sized Band CD

By Anonymous

Boonton, NJ March 15, 2004--Singer-songwriter “Big Jeff” DeSmedt releases Big Jeff and his Middle-Sized Band, his new rock record for kids (Big Jeff Music, April 12, 2004). With this release, his fourth CD, Big Jeff amps up his quirky folk repertoire by joining forces with his Middle-Sized Band, a four-piece ensemble made up of educators and experienced rockers. Written for kids in the 4 to 9 year-old set, the new CD fuses Big Jeff’s melodic and playful songwriting sensibilities—well known to his day care, library, and festival audiences—with a rock twist: songs inspired by Talking Heads, Led Zeppelin, Devo, Dr. Seuss, Thelonious Monk, and even the Ramones.

Long a staple of New Jersey festival shows, the Middle-Sized Band features Mark Rufino, aka “The World’s Happiest Bass Player”; Dave “Mr. Kleiner” Kleiner, lead guitarist and third-grade teacher; and drummer and music educator “Cool Ken” Serio. Big Jeff considers his Middle Sized Band to be as integral to his children’s music as Crazy Horse and the E-Street Band are to Neil’s and Bruce’s more grown-up fare—the band truly inspires the songwriting and propels the shows to a new level. Each player is a seasoned and versatile musician, and their new CD not only explores rock and roll with power and grace, but also delves into a bit of funk, reggae, ska, blues, and doo-wop.

“Although I think many young kids are into Raffi,” says “Big Jeff” DeSmedt, “a lot of them are just as interested in They Might Be Giants, or maybe some classic bands like the Police and the Beatles, or some of the popular new stuff like the Foo Fighters or Avril Lavigne. Part of the function of my music is to help kids let off steam. They’re little bundles of energy—they need to jump around, clap their hands, or use
their voices to express themselves. Rock and roll is a great way to help them do that because they already connect with it, they grew up hearing it on their parents’—or even their grandparents’—stereos. We keep it positive, and we reinforce some of the lessons they’re getting in school. And the kids certainly react to it. There’s just nothing like seeing a big group of kids all shaking and dancing and singing.”

Featuring children from the ages of 3 to 11 as back-up singers, the CD playfully travels from the harmonica-filled educational jam “Three-Letter Words” to the punk-inspired ditty, “I Don’t Know What to Sing” and finally to “Hum,” the Beatlesque ballad about waiting—for the bus, for a friend, for the sun to come out.

The Big Jeff and His Middle-Sized Band CD is available at Scotti’s Record Shops, www.bigjeffmusic.com, www.cdbaby.com, www.tower.com, and at shows.

“Big Jeff” DeSmedt is a six and a half foot tall singer-songwriter living in Boonton, NJ. He has been playing children’s music shows at day care centers, libraries, and festivals since 1996. An active member of the Children’s Entertainment Association and the New Jersey Folk Project, he has released three other children’s music CDs and one children’s concert DVD.

For more information, contact:
Dana Barnes
646-325-4568
dana@bigjeffmusic.com
http://www.bigjeffmusic.com or http://www.bigjeffmusic.com/bigjeff/media



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