Free ‘Jazz Playground’ Concert with Oran Etkin at Scholastic Store

On March 9th, Putumayo Kids will add to its acclaimed Playground series with the release of Jazz Playground, a new collection of international jazz songs for children. From bebop and swing to Latin and African jazz, this multicultural CD celebrates the vibrant diversity and global influence of jazz and will get the whole family grooving!

Over the last century, jazz has traveled around the world and influenced musicians in even the most remote corners of the earth. Jazz Playground demonstrates how artists in North and South America, Europe, Asia, Africa and Oceania have adopted jazz and made it their own.

Featuring a new, colorful storybook-style booklet and glossary of musical terms, Jazz Playground pairs sophisticated sounds with kid-friendly lyrics. “Mary Had a Little Lamb” gets a jazzy new twist in the hands of New York City-based Israeli saxophonist and jazz educator Oran Etkin and Brooklynite Charanee Wade, while American artist Barbara Morrison delivers a smooth and cool version of the British classic “Sing a Song of Sixpence.”

On March 13, Putumayo will be at The Scholastic Store in Soho.  Kids will have a chance to listen to and watch Oran Etkin play music from the Jazz Playground and stay for an album signing directly following the concert.

I had a chance to speak to Etkin about his love for music, but most importantly his dedication in educating kids. He has an impressive path of music study, starting with saxophonist George Garzone at age 14 and later with jazz multi-instrumentalist Yusef Lateef, then with Dave Liebman and Dave Krakauer among others while pursuing his undergraduate degree and receiving a Masters in Jazz Performance at the Manhattan School of Music.

It may be that being taken under the wings of such masterful musicians helped instill in Etkin not only an amazing ability to play beautifully, but also to pass along his knowledge to younger generations.

“As a musician, you perform and record, but you also have to give back. And teaching is always part of it,” says Etkin. And give back he does. As a faculty member of the Brooklyn Conservatory and Washington Market School, Etkin shares his art with over 500 students in New York City alone. Etkin is also known for having developed a technique that has been successful in teaching children between 2-6 years of age. Etkin says that this is the best time for kids to learn, when they are not in tune with their inhibitions or insecurities. “Learning music is intuitive,” explains Etkin. “By simply exposing them to beats and pauses you give them the whole vocabulary of music. With each story, of each song, they are learning.”

His passion and dedication, not to mention his sheer musical talent has earned him some rave reviews from the likes of NY Times Jazz Critic Ben Ratliff and musical critic Nate Chinen. His latest adult adult album, Kelenia, also won Best World Beat Album at the 9th Annual IMA.

Don’t miss going to The Scholastic Store on March 13 to watch Etkin perform music from Jazz Playground. Tickets are free, but reservation is required. Reserve your spot by calling 212 389-3800.

In the meantime, NYCityMama is giving away a copy of Jazz Playground to one lucky winner!

TO ENTER:

*Tweet about the free upcoming Jazz Playground concert at Scholastic on March 13 and remember to @NYCityMama

*Leave a comment here expressing your interest.

Winner will be chosen Wednesday, March 10, 2010 end of day.

For more on Oran Etkin, check out his MySpace page and well as his personal site, OranEtkin.com.

For a full schedule of The Scholastic Store’s March family-friendly activities, check out their calendar of events.

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