MELISSA BLOCK, HOST:
The Los Angeles duo, Lucky Diaz and the Family Jazz Band, is a kids' music act with a prestigious reputation. They've won plenty of praise from the critics and they were the first Americans to win a Latin Grammy in the Children's Album category. Our kids' music reviewer Stefan Shepherd says their latest album comes in the form of a radio variety show.
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STEFAN SHEPHERD, BYLINE: Lucky Diaz is a troubadour from Los Angeles. Alicia Gaddis, his wife and partner is his Family Jam Band, is a comedienne and author. Together they share a fondness for catchy pop songs and silly words such as "Thingamajig."
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SHEPHERD: That's from their fifth album "Lishy Lou and Lucky Too," on which the duo brings a playful attitude to the foreground. The album, structured around the Lishy and Lucky radio show is set in the time of transition to TV so it's filled with corny jokes and sketches.
: Hey, Lishy, how are you?
ALICIA GADDIS: I'm great, Lucky. I learned a new joke.
: Let's hear it.
GADDIS: Did you know that your shoes have a favorite unit of measurement?
: No, I didn't. What's their favorite unit of measurement?
GADDIS: Feet.
SHEPHERD: But to my ears, the true stars are songs like "Duck Ellington," that burst with energy.
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SHEPHERD: Set aside the sad puns and the canned radio laughter of the sketches. At its heart, this is an album celebrating people like Jackie Robinson and Amelia Earhart who worked hard and took risks chasing their dreams.
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SHEPHERD: Diaz and Gaddis have been flying especially high themselves lately, attempting to scale even greater heights. Dreaming big is scary, but this couple has shown they're not afraid to reinvent their sound.
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BLOCK: Stefan Shepherd reviewed "Lishy Lou and Lucky Too" by Lucky Diaz and the Family Jam Band. Stefan writes about kids' music at Zoogloggle.com.