227 maple ave e vienna, va 22180 thebros@jamminjava.com
Recess Monkey
Zooglobble Recommended!: "Fun times three. This Seattle trio continues to write great songs and has a fun, energetic stage show to match. Think of them as the west coast Rocknoceros."
"A brilliant, multilayered concept album of stories and songs heavily influenced by '60s rock. If Brian Wilson had written for kids, he would have created "The Pool," a song of yearning for time to pass while waiting to jump back in the water after lunch." -Kathy O'Connell, heard on NPR's Morning Edition
"Wonderstuff is the year's most ambitious kids' music album ... As I listened I thought more of another late '60s double-CD set from another English band -- the Who's Tommy. Though miles away from Pete Townshend's somewhat dark and disturbing storyline, Wonderstuff is, at its heart, also a rock-pop opera The story itself -- a hero quest worthy of Joseph Campbell -- will be of interest to kids ... With Wonderstuff, Recess Monkey have recorded another album bursting with energy and good spirits. Definitely recommended." -Stefan Shepherd, Zooglobble
"This Seattle trio knows how to get kids excited. On this CD, catchy hooks abound, as do sing-along choruses and goofy humor. The fast pace keeps the circus atmosphere alive across all 20 tracks." -COOKIE Magazine
The Shushybyes
Shushybye is the land where the resident Shushies make dreams for preschoolers - and The Shushybyes is the #1 rock band on the Bedboard Charts! Not your typical preschool music, the iParenting Award-winning original music of The Shushybyes is filled with catchy rock, swing jazz, Latin, R&B and more. Heading up the dream-themed rock band is lead singer Michael North, celebrated by Shushy fans and media alike for his smooth vocals in any musical style. Michael is joined on stage by SNOOZLES, DOZIE and ZEEZ - three of the top dreammakers in Shushybye. So sit back as well as jump up and down (and lie back during the lullabies) and enjoy the rockin' tunes of the ever-popular The Shushybyes!!!
Hullabaloo Band
Hullabaloo is farm-fresh, free-range, organic kid-folk in a genre filled with musical Twinkies and Ding-Dongs. Don't get us wrong (and please don't sue us Hostess Foods Inc.), Twinkies and Ding-Dongs are great (in small doses). But, after a while, you need something with a little more substance-something that won't induce an insulin coma.
Here at Hullabaloo World Headquarters (the back corner of Steve's mom's garage), we like to say "We're putting the music back in kid's music!" because, until recently, it's been a pretty sad state of affairs. A lot of parents raised on rock'n'roll have a hard time down-shifting to singing dinosaurs and hamsters and, frankly, we don't blame them.
We're proud to be part of a growing number of artists that have found a way to honor and entertain kids without making their parents want to jump out of a moving mini-van.
Steve's a folksinger and a songwriter and Brendan is a long-time rock'n'roll drummer so, you'll hear traces of twang, funk, rock, folk and blues in our songs. We play the time-tested favorites we all grew up with and we write songs that make kids laugh, think, sing, dance, clap and stomp their feet.
2006- Parents' Choice Award for "Sing Along With Sam"
2007- Parents' Choice Award for "Hey, Everybody!"
2007- Childrens Music Web Award for "Hey, Everybody!"
2008- NAPPA Gold Award for "Tall as a Tree"
2008- Parents' Choice Award for "Tall as a Tree"
2008- Children's Music Web Award for "Tall as a Tree"
Ellis Paul “Dragonfly Races”
Ellis Paul is one of the leading voices in American songwriting. He was a principle leader in the wave of singer/songwriters that emerged from the Boston folk scene, creating a movement that revitalized the national acoustic circuit with an urban, literate, folk pop style that helped renew interest in the genre in the 1990's. For this special performance he will be performing songs from his children's album, The Dragonfly Races.
The Great Zucchini
The Great Zucchini, Washington's funniest and most magical PRESCHOOL & KINDERGARTEN entertainer, performs a colorful magic show where every child is a star and guaranteed to laugh! Experience the excitement of the children when they get to learn a magic trick at the end of show!
For over 12 years, The Great Zucchini has been entertaining young children as a magician and preschool teacher. He performs his hands-on, interactive magic shows to more that 250 groups a year. His experience, coupled with his gentle nature and wacky facial expressions, makes kids immediately feel comfortable and ready to laugh.
The wonder of magic, silliness of comedy, and interactive nature of The Great Zucchini's show keeps children on the edge of their seats. Watch your kids' faces light up as they see things disappear and reappear. Watch how animated and excited the children get when they yell "Wake up Zucchini," when he accidentally falls asleep during the show or when he turns tissue paper into colorful rainbow streamers, or when his puppet, Ruffles the Rabbit, keeps coming out of the hat without The Great Zucchini noticing. This is "eye candy" magic comedy at its best. Have your cameras ready. You'll get some terrific pictures of the kids laughing the entire 40-minute show. And last, but not least, it'll be a birthday your child, family, and friends will fondly remember for years to come!
Alex and the Kaleidoscope Band
Alex & the Kaleidoscope Band, award-winning children's performers, will perform a Family Concert of their award winning Kaleidoscope Songs at Jammin' Java on January 23rd, 2010 at 10:30am.
Alex Mitnick and Alan Bell, Philadelphia based musician and lyricist, began writing musicals for children focused on peace and communication before releasing their first album in 2004. Since then they have released three albums for children that blend an energetic and eclectic mix of original world music with insightful and inspiring lyrics.
Focused on self-awareness and appreciation of the world around us, Kaleidoscope Songs has received national acclaim and awards for incorporating fun and learning through the power of music. Awards include a Parents' Choice Foundation Recommendation, multiple Parent-to-Parent Adding Wisdom Awards, Best New Artist and Best Album for Pre-Schoolers from the Children's Music Web, Best Album For Older Children (Ages 8-12) from the Children's Music Web, Independent Music Awards BEST SONG for Children for Kangaroo!, Coalition For Quality Children's Media KIDS FIRST Award, iParenting Media HOT PRODUCTS award and an entry of the week recognition from the NAPPA foundation.
Alex & the Kaleidoscope Band has performed extensively in theaters, festivals, libraries and schools throughout New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Washington DC and around the country with lively, interactive family-friendly entertainment. The group has been featured at the Brooklyn Children's Museum, Philadelphia's World Café Live, Chicago's Lincoln Park Zoo, The World Bank and many other popular venues.
The groups latest CD, Animals We Dream, got rave reviews. "A myriad of multicultural rhythms and instruments highlight a peaceful safari to the animal kingdom that educates and informs in an engaging way." John Wood, Kidzmusic.com.
"Very enjoyable. Upbeat, catchy tunes, excellent lyrics with great messages. Each tune offers something different in terms of rhythm and pace - all very appealing to a youth audience as well as to adults. It doesn't dumb down to the audience. The lyrics alone are lovely poetry." - Coalition For Quality Children's Media.
"Kaleidoscope Songs is beautiful music blended with meaningful lyrics.... Parents and kids alike found the music to be enchanting, and very well produced. Guitars, percussion, French horns, trumpets, drums, pianos, violins and lots of children's voices make Kaleidoscope Songs musically rich and engaging for both children and adults. A must have for all households and each classroom," said CEO/founder of the Adding Wisdom Award and family author Jodie Lynn.
Alex began teaching music to young children while in college at University of the Arts in Philadelphia, PA. Currently Alex directs the music program, for eighteen months to eighth grade, at the Princeton Montessori School in Princeton, N.J. where, since 2000, he has inspired kids of all ages through music and musical theatre productions. He is also a faculty member of the Princeton Center For Teacher Education where he directs workshops for non-"musicians" who wish to incorporate music into their classrooms.
Alex will be joined by the full Kaleidoscope Band which includes guitar, piano, bass, drums and two female singers who also play trombone. Tickets for the concert are available at the Jammin' Java website, www.jamminjava.com, and will be available at the door. Price: $10 Children one and under are FREE.
The Nields
To the songwriter/musician who has neither burned, bailed nor sold out, there comes a time when he or she turns from writing about who they are in the current moment to writing about who they have always been, addressing head-on their roots, sources and influences. SISTER HOLLER, the newest and 14th career release from Nerissa and Katryna Nields, is a "roots album," but with a difference. Rather than simply reinterpret or re-record the music what brung 'em, the sisters from Western Massachusetts, have decided in Sister Holler to retool, assimilate and flat out burgle the music they grew up with to create something new. They tell the listener right up front that they're even going to lift entire lines from some of the best songs ever written, and then they do it, right before your very ears. The result is a delightful oxymoron of songs simultaneously familiar and surprising.
Ralph’s World
Zooglobble Recommended!: "I've seen lots of kids musicians - Ralph's World rocks with the best of them. So many great songs..."
These days there may be lots of rockers making kid-friendly records, but there's only one Ralph Covert, an irrepressibly enthusiastic performer who rocks just as hard for kids as he does for grown-ups. Perma-grin on his face, lime-green Chuck Taylors on his feet-even at the Grammies! -his traveling circus of catchiness known as Ralph's World is equally loved by cool-seeking parents as it is by children, fortunate to be living in an era where their music both rocks and respects their intelligence and curiosity.
Look no further than The New York Times, which said, in a front-page Arts section story, "It is possible that Mr. Covert will turn out to be [the] genre's Elvis Presley, or at the very least its Elvis Costello."
Covert is the ringmaster of a packed tent of creativity, even beyond Ralph's World. He's an award-winning playwright, has written books (including the circus-themed Sawdust and Spangles), and music for adult theatrical dramas and children's musicals. He also still plays gigs with his grown-up rock outfit, The Bad Examples - to say nothing of the Ralph's World videos that put his winning personality into family rooms worldwide. Given all that, it's no wonder that Disney sought out the indefatigable performer for its Disney Sound label, which is releasing ‘The Rhyming Circus,' Ralph's World's latest.
Ralph’s World
Zooglobble Recommended!: "I've seen lots of kids musicians - Ralph's World rocks with the best of them. So many great songs..."
These days there may be lots of rockers making kid-friendly records, but there's only one Ralph Covert, an irrepressibly enthusiastic performer who rocks just as hard for kids as he does for grown-ups. Perma-grin on his face, lime-green Chuck Taylors on his feet-even at the Grammies! -his traveling circus of catchiness known as Ralph's World is equally loved by cool-seeking parents as it is by children, fortunate to be living in an era where their music both rocks and respects their intelligence and curiosity.
Look no further than The New York Times, which said, in a front-page Arts section story, "It is possible that Mr. Covert will turn out to be [the] genre's Elvis Presley, or at the very least its Elvis Costello."
Covert is the ringmaster of a packed tent of creativity, even beyond Ralph's World. He's an award-winning playwright, has written books (including the circus-themed Sawdust and Spangles), and music for adult theatrical dramas and children's musicals. He also still plays gigs with his grown-up rock outfit, The Bad Examples - to say nothing of the Ralph's World videos that put his winning personality into family rooms worldwide. Given all that, it's no wonder that Disney sought out the indefatigable performer for its Disney Sound label, which is releasing ‘The Rhyming Circus,' Ralph's World's latest.
Secret Agent 23 Skidoo
Zooglobble Recommended!: "Secret Agent 23 Skidoo would be a lousy secret agent because he's such a great musician -- lots of people are finding out just how much fun his beats, rhymes, and music are."
- Secret Agent 23 Skidoo is on a not-so-secret mission. By combining the world of infectious beats and rhymes that he grew up on with the magical realm of childhood, he aims to introduce kids to hip hop without compromising either one.
- His debut album, Easy, mixes traditional funk, bluegrass, reggae and blues with classic golden age hip hop beats. Then, he tops it off with positive, party rocking rhymes, and a slew of exciting characters from the last dragon left on earth to the bluegrasshopper.
- "The list of really good kids' hip-hop albums is very short. Not only does Easy go to the top of that list, it should find a lot of fans among people who don't consider themselves big hip-hop fans. It's a really good CD, period -- lots of fun and certainly worthy of repeated spins. Definitely recommended." -Zooglobble
Rocknoceros Family Happy Hour
What's a Rocknoceros Family Happy Hour?
A Rocknoceros Family Happy Hour is a night out for the WHOLE family! Rocknoceros wanted to provide a way for entire families to get a night out on the town in a safe, clean, and family-friendly way. Jammin' Java and even the famed 9:30 Club have presented the show and every one has been super fun!
*You'll hear some rockin' Rockno classics but also a fun mix of classic rock cover tunes that grownups will enjoy!
*And don't forget the Signature Family Happy Hour drink special: BUY A BEER, GET A JUICE BOX! - the Jammin' Java bar will be in full operation.
Zooglobble Recommended!: "Kudos to the great taste of the DC area. You already know what the rest of the country is starting to find out - that Rocknoceros is a gem of a band."
As every family with youngsters in the DC area already knows, Rocknoceros (pronounced like rhinoceros) is three guys: Coach Cotton, Williebob, and Boogie Woogie Bennie. After seeing them perform, there is no denying that they are not a typical trio. Coach Cotton is the ring-leader, frequently immersed in a sea of knee-high concert goers. Wearing a wireless head-set microphone, he wades through the mass of dancing children, dispersing high-fives and shaking a tambourine. Williebob provides the necessary string work for the show, moving among a collection of guitars, mandolins, and banjos while wearing a kazoo around his neck. Boogie Woogie Bennie is a one-man-band within the power trio, employing a contraption that one four-year-old fan described as "the piano-drum". The piano-drum allows Boogie Bennie to play the bass drum with his right foot, the snare drum and hi-hat cymbal with his left foot, and the keyboard with his hands (with his left hand playing the bass parts). Together, Rocknoceros is able to cover a dizzying range of musical styles in each set. From Tin Pan Alley to the shores of Jamaica, Rocknoceros hops from genre to genre like a toad on summer asphalt.
Gustafer Yellowgold
Zooglobble Recommended!: "By themselves, the songs or the animation of Gustafer Yellowgold would be worth hearing (or watching). Combined, it's one of the most unique pieces of family entertainment you'll see this year."
Gustafer Yellowgold concerts are a unique blend of live music and moving image. The minimally animated illustrations are accompanied by illustrator/songwriter Morgan Taylor's catchy and original story-songs for a truly different multimedia experience that is entrancing children, teens and adults alike.
Gustafer is a friendly creature who came to Earth from the sun and has an unusual magnetism for making friends with some of Earth's odder creatures. His best friend is Forrest Applecrumbie the flightless Pterodactyl. Gustafer and Forrest built a small cottage-style home on the edge of an uncharted wooded area in Minnesota. He has a pet Eel named Slim (short for Slimothy) and a pet Dragon named Asparagus who lives in his fireplace and loves corn on the cob. Gustafer's pals, the Mustard Slugs practice their math under the shrubbery.
Since his creation in 2005, Gustafer Yellowgold has become an international phenomenon, acclaimed by the New York Times, which said, "The show is a cross between ‘Yellow Submarine' and Dr. Seuss." Entertainment Weekly praised "...The most infectious original songs. It's like tapping into some pleasure center in the brain- both adult and kid...absurdly appealing. Grade: A." New York Magazine named Morgan Taylor "Best Kids' Performer" in its 2008 Best of New York Awards. Take a look at Gustafer's MySpace page to see what his fans think!
The Gustafer Yellowgold Show, with its unique crossover appeal, has performed as the wild-card opening act for Wilco and The Polyphonic Spree. Gustafer recently made his off-Broadway debut at the DR2 Theatre in a new show, Gustafer Yellowgold's Mellow Sensation. Tours to arts centers, children's museums, schools, libraries, cinemas and theaters have taken the show all across the United States, the U.K and even Korea! Taylor's other projects include playing bass for The Autumn Defense (featuring John and Pat from Wilco), as well as a recording project with Tony Award winning songwriter Duncan Sheik.
The award-winning DVD/CD sets Gustafer Yellowgold's ‘Have You Never Been Yellow?' and Gustafer Yellowgold's ‘Wide Wild World' were released by Apple-Eye Productions in 2007.
The Grandsons JR
The GRANDSONS JR is the kids band version of DC-area roots rock superstars The GRANDSONS. Kids AND their parents will dig the upbeat mix of rock, swing, New Orleans R&B, country, latin music we call Americana.
Luke Brindley
Singer-songwriter Isabelle Chester (Miss Belle) performs original children's songs and well- known kid & traditional favorites in English and Spanish accompanied by her rhythmic guitar playing to get her audience up on its feet and dancing in the aisles. Miss Belle regularly performs in the greater Washington, D.C. area.
Jammin’ Java’s own Luke Brindley returns for two back to back nights! Arguably the most promising singer/songwriter to emerge from the Washington, DC area in recent years, Luke’s self titled release is called "one of the best roots-rock records of the year" by The Washington Post. With no song going “untouched by the energy and pure infectious joy of Luke's performance (The Washington Times),” Luke’s show will feature music from the 2008 WAMMIE winner for Best Contemporary Folk album and his latest release 5 Songs, and showcase some as-yet-unreleased tunes with help from Todd Wright, Jess Bennett and several special guests.