Ella Jenkins

Gr all levels—Ella Jenkins, "the first lady of children's music," is in her 80s and shows no signs of slowing down on this compilation of 21 spirituals and contemporary standards. Still with strong timbre and a full-bodied, warm sound to her voice, Jenkins shines in these spare, straightforward arrangements. She includes an introduction for each song to set the tone and enhance the musical experience. For example, in one she talks about her first trip down South and the experience of picking cotton, and in another about her Uncle Flood and his love for the harmonica and the blues. Opening with "Pick a Bale of Cotton," Jenkins covers a wide range of musical styles with appeal to all ages—from the counting song, "One, Two, Three O'Leary" (including a verse in Spanish) to "Calling a Square Dance," a call-response "Little Sally Walker," "Cotton-Eyed Joe," "Somebody's Talking About Freedom," "Gershwin's "Summertime," and "Milk Cow Blues." She is joined on occasion in song or in a call/response by a group of children, while at other times, Rita Ruby accompanies Jenkins on guitar and vocally. The two women's voices blend beautifully. Ruby solos on an a cappella rendition of "Amazing Grace"; the overtones in her performance are punctuated with momentary silence at the end of the song. Listeners will want to burst into song many times during this joyful recording. Lyrics and background information are included in the booklet. A gem!—Stephanie Bange, Wright State University, Dayton, OH