Late folk legend Dave Van Ronk recorded a version of "Peter and the Wolf" that we've been digging on lately. Z is intimately familiar with both the story and the music of Peter and the Wolf - a favorite game of ours around the house is to quiz each other: "Which sound does the wolf make Z?" "Buuuuuh dah dah dah dah dah dah da da da da daaaaaa" (Yeah, it's hard to type - you can find a clip of each character's theme here.) Van Ronk put his on twist on the story by recording Peter and the Wolf using jug band instruments, and it's so much fun. Seriously, could there possibly be anything cooler?

Peter is the fiddle, the bird a penny whistle, the duck a kuzoo, grandpa is a mandolin, cat is a clarinet, hunters are a "snappy guitar," the wolf is "three deep voices" humming the wolf theme. Also included are a guitar, banjo, a jug and more instruments! Really, you've got to hear it to appreciate it!

The CD also includes six other songs, including one which Van Ronk describes as his "theme song," "Green, Green Rocky Road." It's a bit mellower than the "Peter and the Wolf" but you can get a taste of Van Ronk's talent and style in the video below.



This fun album is an easy ZRecs Top Pick. Its fusion of the jug band style and instrumentation with the classic story and music of "Peter and the Wolf" is a treat for any family. - Jennifer