Recess! Media

Brief sound clip

Every once in awhile, something comes along that’s just so good that you want everyone to know about it. That’s how I’m feeling about the new CD from Dan Zanes and his friends, “Night Time!” You’ve just heard an excerpt from the opening song, “Night Owl,” that features the duet work of Dan and Aimee Mann. Each of the 16 pieces in this amazing CD for children and families has something truly wonderful going on in it — whether it’s a new version of a Scottish folksong, like “Wild Mountain Thyme,” or the traditional gospel song from South Africa, “Siyahamba,” or that old favorite, “It’s a Wonderful World,” which brings together Dan, Lou Reed, and a Night Time rap by Lealah Johnson, Patricia Herrera and Jose Joaquin Garcia. This is music as it should be — fresh, inventive, and played with love.