Laura Veirs released her newest album on November 8th. Tumble Bee is a collection of folk songs for children. Recorded by Grammy-nominated producer Tucker Martine in their home in Portland, Oregon in the spring of 2011, it covers a wide range of American folk songs, from early 20thcentury work songs to the ballads of Jimmie Rodgers, Woody Guthrie, Peggy Seeger and Harry Belafonte. Veirs and Martine have made a jaunty and moving album to be enjoyed by children as well as all fans of Veirs’ earlier work.
The album features guest appearances by Colin Meloy (Decemberists), Jim James (My Morning Jacket), Bela Fleck and Brian Blade (drummer for Bob Dylan) among many others. As Smithsonian Folkways recording artist Elizabeth Mitchell says, “This is a luminous, smart, essential and truly extraordinary album.”
Inspired by the birth of her son and by countless fans who’ve told her over the years how much their kids love her records, Veirs became curious about the history of American children’s music. She and Martine listened to hundreds of songs from the past several centuries, including Harry Smith’s famous Anthology of American Folk Music. They selected what Veirs calls, “a sampling that reflects our richness as a people.” Tumble Bee was recorded at home in the spring of 2011.
“Many of these songs have been forgotten throughout the years,” says Martine. “We wanted to bring these beloved songs to a new generation with an instrumentation that both honors their traditions and creates something unique.”
You can learn more about Tumble Bee and Laura Veirs in this video. You can purchase Tumble Bee on Amazon
