Little Seed - Songs for Children By Woody Guthrie

Elizabeth Mitchell of the New York folk-pop band Ida sees the infinite wisdom in making folk-rooted music that both kids and parents appreciate. She’s covered artists like Neil Young, Bob Dylan, and Chuck Berry on lovely, soothing records aimed at frazzled parents and their progeny. On *Little Seed*, she celebrates the 100th birthday of American folk hero Woody Guthrie with a collection of his tunes. While some of these songs ring with an early, primitive-blues minimalism and occasional minor-chord solemnity, others are charmingly sweet and accented with instruments like balafon (wooden percussion), violin, and woodwinds. Kids’ voices (including her daughter’s) are also featured; they\'re especially effective as backup vocals on songs like “This Land Is Your Land.” Also evident are car horns, gentle handclaps, and, of course, Guthrie’s lyrical magic: songs like “Sleep Eye” gently lull tired eyes to rest, and tunes like “Bling Blang” and “Grassy Grass Grass” use the catchiest of choruses and melodies to entrance and ignite little minds. *Little Seed* is a truly wonderful slice of Americana to share with any child.