Freeride - Nursery Rhymes Redefined
Play All Day
For well over a decade, Dan Griffith has been introducing the children of his community to a love of music, something that the singer/guitarist obviously has in spades. Griffith’s project, Ramblin’ Dan & The Freewheelin’ Band, calls New York home and hosts music classes and events for young kids all over the city and the surrounding area. Freeride is the second official album from the group, and it packs an expansive punch, comprising 31 total tracks including pretty much any classic children’s tune you could think of. But this isn’t your run-of-the-mill “Mary Had a Little Lamb”—that one’s included here, of course, but instead of a gentle near-lullaby, it’s presented as a rocking, rollicking number that’s more likely to have a two-year-old dancing themselves into a frenzy than falling asleep. The Freewheelin’ Band doesn’t mess around with nursery rhymes and takes care to treat each song as a new opportunity to present kids with a new sound or music genre. Their “Baby Shark” takes on a reggae feel, while “5 Little Monkeys Jumpin’ On the Bed” exhibits an R&B/rap flavor, complete with some choice autotune. Griffith and his band invite a number of guests throughout the record, including Blues Traveler frontman John Popper (who adds his harmonica to a zydeco-infused “I’ve Been Working on the Railroad), Joe Russo’s Almost Dead guitarist Scott Metzger (who shreds on “On Top of Spaghetti”), and Trey Anastasio Band’s Jennifer Hartswick and Natalie Cressman (who lend their voices and horns to multiple tracks like “Hush Little Baby,” “Bingo,” and “The Itsy Bitsy Spider”), among others. Many of the songs include spoken parts from Griffith and an array of children, adding a live feel to the record that evokes the feeling of being at a Freewheelin’ Band show, surrounded by countless smiles on the faces of children learning that live music can be one of the best experiences in life. And it’s pretty hard to argue with anything that aims to bring more of that into the world. Matt Inman
