Mel And Friends: “Swingset Serenade” (2024) Vinyl Review

When I was a child, much of the children’s music that I heard and loved was jazz, though I didn’t know it at the time. Think of Vince Guaraldi’s music for the Peanuts television specials or a lot of the songs on The Muppet Show. Great stuff! My friends and I didn’t know it was jazz, we just knew we loved it. Melanie Dill and Tom Johnson were inspired by just that sort of music when creating the new album, Swingset Serenade, which is being released on vinyl as well as compact disc, another way this album takes me back to the music of my childhood. I think it’s excellent that kids these days will be able to start their own record collections, the way we did, and learn to handle the records with care. The record features all original material, written by Melanie Dill and Tom Johnson, and the music is a lot of fun. Joining them on this release are Chris Leopold on trumpet, Zak Pischnotte on saxophone, Mike Horan on guitar, Eric Mardis on guitar, Nick Weiser on piano, Will Dinkel on double bass, Danny Rojas on drums, J. Metz on percussion, and Danny O’Brien on trumpet, along with some guests on certain tracks.

Side A

The album opens with its title track, “Swingset Serenade,” which soon becomes absolutely adorable, as we hear a child asking to be pushed on the swing, while a delicious jazz rhythm is established. “Higher, higher,” the child says, and then, “That’s too high.” Then there is some great vocal work from Melanie Dill, her performance bright and joyous. The kids are still present at times, even delivering that wonderfully cheesy joke, when one child asks, “How do you feel about swings?” The other child answers, “I don’t know, I go back and forth on them.” This song is a total delight with a big band sound. Then we get into a Latin thing with “Jugo De Naranja,” with Kelfel Aqui on vocals. Sure, the lyrics are simple, but this is a totally enjoyable tune, with plenty of great percussion. Rhyno Hensley joins the group on drums on this track. Children’s voices are present on this one too, and on all this album’s tracks. I’ll be singing this song each morning as I pour myself a glass of orange juice and dance into my day. At least, I hope I start my day that way.

“Make A Garden” is totally delightful song. It’s great fun for adults as well as children, with that gypsy jazz vibe, featuring some excellent stuff on guitar. And the lyrics are delivered at a fast pace at the start. “So come on and grab a shovel on the double, here we go!” Children are on vocals for some of this track. And there is a wonderful sense of humor to it as well, heard when one child asks, “Is this a lemon or a lime?” and another answers, “That’s a potato.” Adorable! This track also features nice work on bass. Chris Shaw plays bass on this one, and Ashley Zeigenbein is on piano. Chris Shaw also plays bass on “Mariposa,” a song that is mostly sung in Spanish and features a pretty vocal performance. This short track also contains some really nice work on guitar. Bill Crahan plays guitar on this one, and Clark Jamison is on percussion. At the end, a child says, “Butterfly.”

There is some humor in “Ruth’s Couscous,” a song about having a potluck picnic, as one child says, “I’m feeling potlucky today.” I love those swells from the brass section. “What is couscous?” a child asks in the middle of the track, and another child provides information. This track gets wonderfully silly toward the end. This music will have you smiling, no matter your age. The band then slows things down with “Come Back Balloon,” which begins with a forlorn child’s entreaty to a wayward balloon. Then the adult vocals take on the character of the balloon itself. Shannon Savoie joins the band on vocals. The child is eventually cheered up by other children and by the balloon itself. This track ends with the child saying, “Goodbye, balloon” after the instruments have faded out.

Side B

“The Speed Of Light” has a snappy rhythm which works well with the song’s subject. Children provide the scientific facts about light on this track, not adults. When one says, “Most of our light comes from the sun,” they all shout “Yay, sun!” Yes, I feel that way myself sometimes, like cheering on the sun. “When you get closer to the speed of light, weird things start to happen,” a child says at one point. Oh, weird things happen everywhere, kid. And what other song gives you a group of children shouting “Einstein’s theory of relativity”? I love the drum work on this song. As the band continues to jam, the music fades out, while the sounds of night continue. That leads straight into “Me Gustan Las Estrellas,” which is perfect. And we are prepared for this track, for in “The Speed Of Light” one child asks, “How do you say ‘star’ in Spanish,” and another kid answers, “Estrella.” And actually another child says, “Me gustan las estrellas.” So we are ready for this one. This track has a relaxed vibe and features a really sweet vocal performance, the lyrics sung mainly in Spanish. A child comes in and sings a section in English. This one also ends with the sounds of night.

“Bunk Bed” is a fun, lively number, with a big band vibe. I love the percussion from the moment the song kicks in, and there is great percussion throughout this track. This track also contains a vibrant, fun vocal performance. “Be careful not to bump your head/Let your imagination fly/It’s easy if you really try.” And this song’s lyrics mention the speed of light. Things then get mellow with the album’s final track, “Bedtime.” This song will help your little ones relax, especially after the excitement of the previous track. “Bedtime/Everything’s quiet now.” This track features some gentle, pretty work on piano. At the end, it drifts off, and so do we. A sweet conclusion to a fun record.

Record Track List

Side A

1. Swingset Serenade
2. Jugo De Naranja
3. Make A Garden
4. Mariposa
5. Ruth’s Couscous
6. Come Back Balloon

Side B

1. The Speed Of Light
2. Me Gustan Las Estrellas
3. Bunk Bed
4. Bedtime

Swingset Serenade is available digitally now, and is scheduled to be released on vinyl and CD on May 3, 2024.