Sunny Days Are Here Again Song
The Story | The Songs | The Reviews
2. Shoo Lie Loo
3. Mr. Rabbit
iv. Ooki Na Kuri No Ki No Shita De
[Under the Big Anecdote Tree]
v. Keep On the Sunny Side – (featuring Levon Helm/Amy Helm)
6. Lovely Day
7. Reggae In the Fields
8. Ong Tal Sam [Little Bound]
nine. Tell Information technology Again
x. Green, Green Rocky Road – (featuring Dan Zanes)
11. Schoolhouse Days – (featuring Levon Helm)
12. Mystery Train – (featuring Levon Helm)
13. Oh, John the Rabbit
14. David'South Mandolin
15. This Little Light of Mine – (featuring Children of Agape)
16. Fairy Tale Lullaby
17. Elephants All Over the World
18. Little Buckaroo – (featuring Jon Langford)
19. Tsuki [Moon]
Introduction
For many years before I called Elizabeth Mitchell a friend, her music filled my domicile and touched my family. From the very first listen I gave to her 2002 album Y'all Are My Sunshine, Elizabeth's voice eased its way into our home and filled it—and us—with sound of a gentle, loving nature. In those early days of parenting the littlest of souls, her melodies became a office of our everyday life. Lyrics gentle and easy enough so that the youngest among u.s.a. could bring together in somehow, and songs sweetness enough that they bore repeated singing through our days. Approachable, pretty, and friendly―these songs wove their style into my mind and our family's middle.
Sunny Day continues in the aforementioned tradition and grows in new and wonderful ways, as family life has a way of doing. As the bonds of family and friends grow older and stronger with age, Elizabeth invites united states of america to rejoice with her ain. With the continued and growing accompaniment of her daughter Storey and husband Daniel, Sunny Twenty-four hour period greets listeners with a "welcome dwelling house" as we join them―rails after track―in vocal over again.
Just like the rhythm of our days—the pulse of our family life—Sunny Day inspires a steady rhythm of family connectedness and togetherness: gently guiding u.s. through the course of a day in vocal and trip the light fantastic (because i can't assistance but dance!)—taking u.s. everywhere from bed to the kitchen, to school, to the garden, and tucked back safely in bed at nighttime. The songs bring our attending to the magical, mysterious, fabulous, and special simple moments of everyday living―all the while connecting united states of america to each other, the animals and people of the wide world, and the pleasures constitute in the earthly delights around us.
Sunny Mean solar day is a collection of "handmade" music of the finest kind, for folks of all ages. Steeped in the tradition, history, and comfort of the folksingers and elders earlier us and spun with the modernistic delight and wonder of children, the songs are as immature and magical as the very young and magical songwriting family making the music.
In a world that can often experience overwhelming, chaotic, and just too busy, this music is a deep sigh of peace and a full smile of love. The songs gently encourage us to remember and honour childhood as a time of exploration, wonder, and imagination. No affair our historic period, nosotros are reminded that in that location is great pleasance to exist found in the simplest of small, ordinary, and beautiful moments in everyday life. As nosotros listen to the words of peace and share them with our family through vocal, borders and historic period fade away . . . and loving arms agree usa close together as a family. In that place, nosotros become open up to the promise and possibility that today…. "it's gonna exist a lovely day."
—Amanda Blake Soule
Song Notes
Dear Friends:
I simply finished my song notes and—wow—each vocal actually has a long story! I guess for some people like me, songs are treasures, journeys, best friends, full of meaning and memories. For our family, these songs accept become all these things and more. They are a span from our habitation to yours, allowing u.s.a. to share moments with y'all and to travel to places we never dreamed we would get.
As I write this, Storey is one month away from turning nine years old! When we concluding met with the release of You Are My Picayune Bird, she was five. Storey grows, the music grows, and I try to keep up with them and the muses, sounds, and inspirations that fly around my head like little birds.
We've made so many lovely friends in Woodstock and across these last few years. I am so grateful to exist able to share with you these sounds that we made together.
— Elizabeth Mitchell
i. Sunny Day
Elizabeth Mitchell, vocals; Daniel Littleton, vocals, banjo, ukulin, viola; Storey Littleton, vocals, harmonica: birds sing
Storey spent a lot of fourth dimension as a toddler with her Lola (the word for "grandmother" in the Philippines). She always felt loved and cherished by her Lola, always patiently encouraged to bloom and abound. They spent many hours in conversation, as Storey was a very exact fiddling girl. I know these moments they shared were special, equally Storey often revealed parts of herself that she kept hidden, even from me. This vocal was born during i of their many afternoons together. Storey plays a harmonica sunrise!
2. Shoo Lie Loo
Elizabeth Mitchell, vocals, percussion, harmonica; Daniel Littleton, vocals, guitar; Storey Littleton, vocals; Justin Guip, drums; Phillippa Thompson, violin; Warren Defever, bass, harmonica; Nancy Chusid, Jojo Gara, Annika Enzien, Talulah Patch, Ken and Somoto Ejinkone, Jean Cook, Esme Waldmann, Anna Padgett, and Miggy Littleton, vocals
I first heard this song on an album by Bessie Jones called Step It Downwardly. Bessie was a member of the Georgia Ocean Island Singers, a folk and gospel group who were recorded by Alan Lomax in the 1950s. Bessie's incredible music can only be matched by her work collecting and transmitting the songs and games of the Ocean Islands for time to come generations. Storey learned this song in a music course taught by my good friend, Nancy Chusid. The song is accompanied by a dancing game where yous stand up in a circle, handclapping your hands to the beat, and call out for your friend to wing beyond the circle like a bird.
3. Mr. Rabbit
Elizabeth Mitchell, vocals; Daniel Littleton, vocals, harmonium; Storey Littleton, vocals; Kirsten Jacobson, flute; Jane Scarpantoni, cello; Athena, Caroline, Gloria, and Robert Miros, vocals
Ruth Crawford Seeger was a modernist composer. She was the mother of Barbara, Mike, Peggy, and Penny Seeger, and the 2d married woman of Charles Seeger, father of Pete. When Ruth's children were young, she took a chore with the Library of Congress transcribing field recordings of folk songs collected past Alan Lomax. This led her to publish several definitive songbooks of American children's music. Ruth always wrote her arrangements of folk songs with the beginner pianist in heed―she wanted all people who loved music to be able to enjoy the songs, regardless of their skill level. How lucky we are to be able to learn from her efforts and enjoy the beauty of her thoughtful arrangements. Although she wrote by and large for piano, Daniel has adapted some of the songs for a small ensemble of cello, harmonium, and flute, and this is one of them. My sister Caroline and her family sing forth with us here.
4. Ooki Na Kuri No Ki No Shita De (Under the Large Chestnut Tree)
Elizabeth Mitchell, vocals; Daniel Littleton, guitar, banjo; Storey Littleton, vocals; Kirsten Jacobson, flute; Jean Cook, violin; Nancy Chusid, oboe, bass recorder; William Constan, clarinet; Libby Constan, vocals
In the fall of 2008 our family traveled throughout the wondrous land of Japan on tour with our ring Ida. Our friend Mimi came over before we left to help us learn some Japanese. She taught us this song that day, and nosotros savage in love with information technology! On one of our many rides on the Shinkansen—the bullet train—nosotros saw ii little girls almost Storey's age singing this song and doing the manus movements that back-trail it. Here Storey is joined by her sweet cousin Libby singing and by her oldest cousin William on clarinet.
5. Continue on the Sunny Side
Elizabeth Mitchell, vocals; Daniel Littleton, vocals, guitar; Karla Schickele, bass; Levon Helm, drums; Teresa Williams and David Levine, autoharp; Larry Campbell, fiddle; Amy Helm, Storey Littleton, Libby Constan, and Talulah Patch, vocals
My grandmother, Ardis Orpha Chase, passed abroad this summer at the age of 97. She was a strength of nature her whole life, total of grace and fire. We sang this song with seven of her great-grandchildren at her memorial service. My grandmother endured many dark times in her life, but had a sign in her kitchen that said "Remember to laugh." Written in 1899, "Keep on the Sunny Side" was made pop by the Carter Family. This recording features some of our neighbors—Levon and Amy Captain, Larry Campbell and Teresa Williams—friends we've been very fortunate to make here in Woodstock.
half-dozen. Lovely Day
Elizabeth Mitchell, vocals, percussion; Daniel Littleton, vocals, guitar, percussion, Wurlitzer; Storey Littleton, vocals; Warren Defever, percussion
Over the last few years this has get ane of my favorite songs, and the meaning resonates more and more every bit I get older. All hail the mighty Bill Withers!
seven. Reggae in the Fields
Elizabeth Mitchell, vocals, drums; Daniel Littleton, vocals, guitar, organ, melodica, percussion; Storey Littleton, Annika Enzien, vocals; Kirsten Jacobson, flute, Warren Defever, guitar
Nosotros listened to a lot of dub when Storey was a baby. She loved the open, magical, echoing sounds and rhythms. Augustus Pablo is a giant in Jamaican music, a main of the melodica, and a true visionary. Daniel and Storey wrote this poem about the dream of peace and the promise of a new solar day with each rising of the morning sun. Thanks to DJ Wong Chu and Zora Neale Hurston for inspiration.
viii. Ong Tal Sam (Petty Leap)
Elizabeth Mitchell, vocals, xylophone, percussion; Daniel Littleton, guitar; Jean Cook, vocals, viola; Jane Scarpantoni, cello
Our beloved violinist Jean Melt taught us this Korean song that she had learned from her female parent. When she is not singing near bunnies and playing violin with us, Jean is the director of the Hereafter of Music Coalition—traveling the earth to Federal democratic republic of ethiopia, Tajikistan, and beyond, making the world a better identify for musicians. We had so much fun singing and recording the xylophones together!
9. Tell It Again
Elizabeth Mitchell, vocals; Daniel Littleton, vocals, guitar, percussion; Storey Littleton, vocals; Jean Cook, violin; Kirsten Jacobson, flute
We learned of this song from a pianoforte tuner who came over one day to our abode in Mountain Tremper. He noticed a Moondog LP sitting by our record player, and told us about a children'due south music recording that Moondog had fabricated with none other than Julie Andrews! We could not believe such a magical combination could be possible, and nosotros were so excited to discover this music! Moondog was a mysterious and complex creative person—a blind New York City street musician and avant-garde composer who made truly unique, rhythmically inventive music featuring cute rounds and haunting melodies.
10. Green, Dark-green Rocky Road
Elizabeth Mitchell, vocals, glockenspiel; Daniel Littleton, vocals, guitar; Storey Littleton, vocals; Dan Zanes, vocals, cuatro; Justin Guip, drums; Elliot Bergman, clarinet
This was a popular folk vocal performed in coffeehouses during the 1960s, merely its roots can be found in the African-American folk tradition of children'south games and songs. Storey learned it during her music classes with Nancy Chusid in Woodstock. She came home singing it, and nosotros all sang along. Our friend Dan Zanes learned it from legendary New York folk musician Dave Van Ronk. Dan was taking guitar lessons from him years ago in Manhattan'south W Village. Nancy and Dave had different interpretations of the song, and so nosotros brought those two worlds together and made something new.
eleven. School Days
Elizabeth Mitchell, vocals; Daniel Littleton, vocals, guitar; Storey Littleton, vocals; Levon Helm, drums; Chris Wood, bass; Susie Lampert, piano; Charlotte Constan, Lucia Legnini, Athena Miros, Ken and Somoto Ejinkone, vocals
When Storey was in beginning course, she and Daniel listened to a lot of Chuck Drupe while driving to schoolhouse in the forenoon. Storey loved the narrative quality of the songs, and the irrepressible energy. At the aforementioned time we were doing Kid's Rambles over at Levon Helm's, and I was really trying to get the kids singing more than. This seemed like the perfect time to paw over the microphone! My niece Charlotte and our friend Lucia join Storey hither on the fabled lead vocals, and our band includes Levon, Chris Wood of Medeski, Martin and Wood, and Susie Lampert of the Laurie Berkner Band.
12. Mystery Train
Elizabeth Mitchell, vocals, guitar; Daniel Littleton, vocals, guitar; Levon Helm, drums; Karla Schickele, bass; Charlotte Constan, vocals; William Constan, train whistle; Storey Littleton, Gloria Miros, Teddy Constan, and Penny Littleton, say Choo Choo!
This is another song we had the immense honor of recording with the great Levon Helm. Sometimes the roots of songs are groovy mysteries. When the Carter Family had a hitting with "Worried Man Dejection" in 1930, they sang "the railroad train arrived xvi coaches long, the girl I love is on that train and gone." Did they write those words, did they accept them from a long-forgotten blues song, or were they just in the air at the time? Nosotros asked Levon when he had first heard "Mystery Train." He told u.s.a., "It seems like that song has always been there for as long every bit I tin can remember." Levon said Junior Parker made the get-go recording he knew about, he airtight his eyes and started singing "Train, railroad train…"
thirteen. John the Rabbit
Elizabeth Mitchell, vocals, guitar, harmonica, percussion; Daniel Littleton, vocals, mandolin, electrical guitar; Storey Littleton, Esme Waldmann, and Penny Littleton, vocals
I used to sing this with my students at the Roosevelt Island Solar day Nursery every day. Every solar day! They never got tired of it, especially the part where nosotros would do a little switcheroo and they would sing the pb and I would sing "yes m'am!" back to them. Now it's Storey's turn!
14. David's Mandolin
Elizabeth Mitchell, vocals; Daniel Littleton, vocals, guitar, mandolin; David Levine, fiddle
Sometimes a borrowed musical instrument can bring new inspiration. Daniel wrote this song on our honey friend David Levine's mandolin one mean solar day when Storey was six years old and growing up and then fast. David joins united states of america hither on fiddle.
15. This Piffling Light of Mine
Elizabeth Mitchell, vocals, harmonium; Daniel Littleton, vocals, guitar; Storey Littleton and the Children of Agape Choir, vocals
Fannie Lou Hamer, a hero and a leader of the Civil Rights Move, sang this song outside the Democratic National Convention in 1964, where she was fighting for all Americans, regardless of race, to receive the right to vote and to have real political representation. Her efforts helped to change the world. Everywhere we have played over the years, people know and love this song and sing along. This recording was fabricated at the dwelling house studio of Dan Zanes, with the Children of Agape Choir. I came to know the choir through the Geier Family, whom I had known during my years of teaching on Roosevelt Island. Their older girl had been a student of mine. The Geiers' younger daughter, Hallie, died later existence struck by a motorcar in 2004 at the age of eleven. Hallie was an activist and a poet, and had raised money to donate to children in sub-Saharan Africa. The Geiers were determined to keep Hallie's remarkable spirit of optimism and pity alive, and they brought the Children of Agape choir to the United States for the very first time. The children are all from the Agape orphanage in South Africa, and take since been the subject of an honor-winning documentary called We Are Together.
sixteen. Fairy Tale Lullaby
Elizabeth Mitchell, vocals; Daniel Littleton, guitar, mandolin; Storey Littleton, vocals; Jean Cook, violin; Kirsten Jacobson, flute; Elliot Bergman, clarinet
John Martyn was an influential singer, songwriter, and guitarist who, along with Nick Drake, Richard Thompson, and Sandy Denny, led the British folk rock scene to some of its many creative heights in the early on 1970s. John had an incredibly expressive and versatile voice. He could growl and howl and sing tender and sweet too. This vocal is a particularly gentle one that lives up to its title.
17. Elephants All Over the Globe
Storey Littleton, vocals; Elizabeth Mitchell, vocals, Wurlitzer; Daniel Littleton, vocals, Irish gaelic harp
Storey's "Uncle" Warren and his wife Hitoko gave Storey a beautiful volume almost elephants in Thailand when she was about three years old. In the book, in that location is a movie of elephants bathing in a river that she was especially captivated by, and she wrote this song about it.
18. Piffling Buckaroo
Elizabeth Mitchell, vocals; Daniel Littleton, guitar; Storey Littleton, harmonica; Jon Langford, vocals
A few years ago I read a biography of the Carter Family called Will You Miss Me When I'm Gone? It cites "Niggling Buckaroo" as the starting time vocal Anita Carter joined her female parent Maybelle in singing on Mexican Border Radio in 1938. Existence such a big fan of Maybelle and her daughters, I had to hear this song. When I did, I knew information technology was the song to sing with my new friend and musical hero, Jon Langford. Jon is a founding member of the Mekons, a legendary British punk rock band. Jon and I share Jean Cook every bit our violinist, frequently duking it out to encounter who tin can accept her for precious moments onstage. We recorded it in Chicago at the end of a mean solar day we had spent with Ella Jenkins. Jon sang about Buffalo Bill, Storey nailed the harmonica solo, and we all slept well that nighttime, amazed by the day we had merely experienced.
19. Tsuki (Moon)
Elizabeth Mitchell, vocals; Daniel Littleton, banjo, Irish gaelic harp; frogs sing
Our most magical and memorable dark in Japan was spent on the beach of Kamakura, putting our bare toes in the black sand and the waters of Sagami Bay, watching the sun set and the moon ascension. This was the last song nosotros recorded for this album, and the final vocal we recorded before moving out of our home in Mount Tremper. We miss the frogs from our pond there, and I was happy to open upwards the windows and doors and give them a chance to add their voices to our vocal.
"With the lovely sounds of handmade music, Elizabeth Mitchell's newest CD, Sunny 24-hour interval, shines." – Seattle Post Intelligencer
"Perfect music for subsequently-school-current of air-downwardly time, for snuggling, or for just feeling happy and at home…Y'all're entire family deserves it!" – Boston Children's Music
"A soothing multicultural quilt of rootsy, gracefully arranged music – Dadnabbit
"Bright, beautiful and sugariness." – Absurd Mom Picks
"This album is a must-have for those who desire avoid pandering in their children'south music and require some intelligent craftsmanship for their ain ears…." – Driftwood Mag
"True folk tradition…sure to be loved by parents and children alike." – Canadian Natural Mama
"A fine album, ane that kids can love, also!" – Chronogram Mag
"The music held within is magical, innocent, gentle, and to a higher place all, inspires a love of life, family unit, and childhood itself." – Laughing Owl Reviews
"Especially folksy, bright, "handmade" music, which in my mind is a substitute for my own lack of music-making ability, singing not included." – Katydidandkid
"In today's hectic, oft crazy world, the simply refrain of the century + old traditional melody never felt more than appropriate or necessary." – Out With The Kids
Source: http://www.youaremyflower.org/?page_id=486
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