1. Jump Up
2. Rock Island Line (with the Rocket Ship Revue)
3. Malti (With Barbara Brousal)
4. The Hokey Pokey (with Father Goose a.k.a. Rankin? Don and the Dandelion Chorus)
5. Water For the Elephants (with Donald Saaf)
6. Linstead Market (with the Sandy Girls)
7. Fooba Wooba John (with Rosanne Cash)
8. Wonder Wheel (with the Rocket Ship Revue)
9. Yo-Yo Sweet Yo-Yo (with the Rubi Theatre Co.)
10. All Around the Kitchen (with Loudon Wainwright III)
11. In the Evening (with the Rocket Ship Revue and the Dandelion Chorus)
12. Flowers Of Edinburgh
13. Thrift Shop (with Sandra Bernhard)
14. Skip To My Lou (with Father Goose a.k.a Rankin? Don)
15. The Good Night Waltz (with Donald Saaf and Lyris Hung)
Amazon.com
At a moment when mainstream music is clogged with a surfeit of stale, formulaic songs and huge egos, Dan Zanes has found the Drano. Family Dance, his second kids' record (after the fab Rocket Ship Beach), again comes through with big-name helpers--Sandra Bernhard, Rosanne Cash, and Loudon Wainwright III among them--but instead of assembling a mixed bag of self-important numbers, Zanes, who produced and plays on all but one of 15 tracks, maintains a cohesive vibe that's low-key and playful. Yet here's a disc that's all over the map, genre-wise. Gruffster Rankin' Don, a.k.a. Father Goose, rasta-raps his way through "The Hokey Pokey" and "Skip to My Lou," the Sandy Girls carry us off to a colorful Caribbean village for "Linstead Market," Cash folks up "Fooba Wooba John," and Leadbelly's "Rock Island Line" makes a stop in Memphis bluesland. Zanes's originals--"Jump Up," "Wonder Wheel," and "Thrift Shop," performed as a duet with Bernhard--manage to be wholesome, happy, and hip all at once, no mean feat. But it's the music making on Family Dance that impresses most of all. Fiddles, beatboxes, mandolins, tubas, banjos, and concertina elbow their way onto these tracks, and they're balanced by Zanes's arrangements and backup singer Barbara Brousal's graceful voice and guitar work. Kids 2 and up will be likewise captivated by the chunky board-book packaging, again with original artwork. --Tammy La Gorce
Album Description
this is the follow up to the acclaimed "rocket ship beach" cd. it's the hip handmade sound of dan zanes and his friends bringing acoustic and electric guitars, fiddles, drums, harmonicas, mandolins, accordions, banjos, tamborines, and voices together for a mixture of traditional and original songs that can be danced to or just listened to depending on the occation. this is 21st century folk music made with the whole family in mind. special guests include Rosanne Cash, Loudon Wainwright lll, The Sandy Girls, Barbara Brousal, Sandra Bernhard, Rankin' Don aka Father Goose, and the Rubi Theatre Company.
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Family Dance
- Audio CD: 0 pages (2002-07-30)
- Publisher: Festival Five Rec.
- Label: Festival Five Rec.
- Format: Original recording reissued
- Studio: Festival Five Rec.
- Average Customer Review:
 based on 51 reviews
- Sales Rank in Music: #2592
Avg. Customer Review:
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:
Customer Rating: 
Summary: Fun CD 2008-06-07
Comment: This CD has such fun music. I get these songs stuck in my head during the day they are so catchy. :)
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:
Customer Rating:
Summary: BUY THIS NOW! 2008-01-01
Comment: Parents, prepare to have your lives changed! This is GREAT music that you and your kids will enjoy together. DZAF has created something that goes far beyond music that the kids will beg to hear and grown-ups can stand to play AGAIN in the mini-van. This is music that inspires music-making.
Since we "discovered" DZAF, my four year old spends her days singing, dancing, pretending she "is" Dan Zanes, pretending she's playing with Dan Zanes, and learning to play the piano and ukulele (yes, the DZ Flea edition!). She asked Santa for a harmonica. Just that. Is she learning catchy (ANNOYING) jingles about how to tie her shoes? No. Is she learning anything? Yes. Music is math, art, reading, writing, peace, love and happiness! She is learning that making music is bigger than the song; collaboration to create something good gives children a sense of inclusion, unity, curiosity, and goodwill that they carry with them when the song/dance party is over.
On a barely related note, if you have the chance, see DZAF in concert. The only thing better than hearing the music is experiencing the wild, all-ages folk show in person. Our recent concert experience was so incredible, we're driving 376 miles in March to see the band again!
Our faves from this CD are "Jump Up," "Rock Island Line," "Water for the Elephants" and, of course, "Wonder Wheel." Don't be surprised if you listen to "Rock Island Line" or "Wonder Wheel" after the kiddies are in bed. They're great songs. I hope your family will be as inspired by the work of this amazing band as mine has been.
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:
Customer Rating:
Summary: Love it!!!!! 2007-09-13
Comment: I love his music!!! I am going to buy another one of his cd. I listen to his music in my car with my children. Sometimes by myself!!! My 4 children love it more because I think they know I like it so much. I have 7 different kids cd in my player. Always go directely to this cd.
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:
Customer Rating:
Summary: Dan Zanes Rocks 2007-09-05
Comment: Dan Zanes is great! Malti is one of our favorites but how can you not like a rocking version of Hokey Pokey? Definitely recommend it- a must have!!!
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:
Customer Rating:
Summary: Two weeks... 2007-06-12
Comment: It took us two weeks to find out what our daughter was happily going around the house singing (3 at the time). And finally Sesame Street came on, and she said her song was on. It was 'Mailti' by Dan Zanes, and once that was
on my daughter just danced and sang away.
Since then we have embraced Dan's music into our family music circle. The lyrics are clean and catchy, and the rythm is simple enough for even a child to keep up with.
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Family Dance
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