Saddle Up

K-Gr 5—The Okee Dokee Brothers, Justin Lansing and Joe Mailander, eschew modern transportation and saddle up for a trip from Arizona to Wyoming along the continental divide. Their voices blend beautifully together to create lovely harmonies for these 15 original and traditional songs. Drawing on folk, country Western, mariachi, and bluegrass styles, the musicians give outstanding performances on banjo, guitar, fiddle, upright bass, autoharp, piano, trombone, accordion, harmonica, drums, and percussion. Unusual instruments include wheelbarrow, washboard, coconuts, cardboard box, bottles, tin can, and jaw harp. "Saddle Up" celebrates songs and stories about mountains, rivers of gold, tall tales, and legends. The brothers cover Cole Porter's "Don't Fence Me In," about riding free. In "Cow Cow Yippee," the cowboy loves his cows and they love when he feeds them. In "Jackalope," The Brothers hunt for that fictional animal. "Sister Moon and Brother Sun" is a Navajo creation story with a Navajo chant opening and closing the song, performed by the Benally Family. Nine other equally terrific songs round out the album. The accompanying DVD is a video log of the Okee Dokee Brothers' travels. It opens with Herman Cody, a Navajo singer and horseman, talking about the importance of caring for one's horse. The Brothers talk about their trip, learn fly fishing, chat with a Navajo woman who explains Navajo beliefs, and sing six songs from the CD.