Folk For Little Folk Volume 1
Self-Released, 2021
8/10
Listen to Folk For Little Folk Volume 1
A Canadian fiddle genius who has picked up plenty of awards along the way, Gordie MacKeeman also handles vocals, banjitar, foot percussion, drums/percussion and acoustic guitar on this first album for kids and families, and he’s got plenty of folk musician friends to help him flesh out the 17 tracks.
“All Around The Kitchen” starts the listen with warm strings and many voices meeting for a playful, bluegrass friendly opening, and “Big Rock Candy Mountain” follows with a bouncy, mountain-esque spirit where MacKeeman’s fiddle prowess and vocal acrobatics don’t disappoint.
Deeper into the listen, “Get Out There And Dance” certainly will get your body moving to the folk influenced fun, while “Dancing In The Bathtub” brings the sounds of water to a raw and percussively strong 48 seconds. “Old MacDonald” then recruits chunky banjo from Tom Webb and soaring fiddle to the swift, memorable instrumental.
Nearing the end, MacKeeman’s version of the “Hokey Pokey” puts fresh paint on the standard with some barnyard flavor, and “Dreamland” brings Richard Wood’s sublime piano playing to wordless, angelic female singing as well as MacKeeman’s soft, expressive pipes that highlight the waltz and indeed dreamy climate.
An entertainer since the age of 6, by 14 MacKeeman was already playing festivals, and he’s currently got 5 albums under his belt. With sharp and diverse songwriting like this, fans of all ages of bluegrass, classic country and Western swing won’t want to miss out on this extraordinary talent.
Travels well with: Alison Faith Levy- You Are Magic; Carrie Ferguson- The Grumpytime Club