Cover Illustration by Todd Francis – Todd is a great illustrator who I’ve known for many years. He works mostly in the skateboard industry. He is also an excellent harmonica player who sits in with the Trees from time to time.Inside cover map illustration by Gregory Hollow Tree – That’s me. Check out more of my artwork here.
The album was recorded and mixed at my home studio. It was mastered by Lucky Player at Manchilde Music in Hollywood.
Track Credits and Notes
1 – Raccoon and Possum – 1:25
There are many different versions of this traditional American song. We based ours on the one in Ruth Crawford Seeger’s American Folk Songs for Children.
Greg sings and plays guitar, Laura plays bass, Rick Lyman plays banjo, and Dave Green plays snare drum.
2 – The Tailor and the Mouse – 1:45
This is a centuries old song of English origin. There are some more lyrics where the tailor poisons the mouse, but Burl Ives leaves those out and so do we. Greg sings and plays guitar, Laura plays her bass with a bow.
3 – Forest Melody – 3:11
An original composition written by Greg.
This tune is illustrated on the cover of our CD.
Greg plays sings and plays guitar, Laura plays bass, and Dave plays snare.
4 – Jack was Every Inch a Sailor – 2:16
Here is a traditional Canadian maritime song. There are other lyrics but we followed for the most part Burl Ives’ version, found on his excellent album “Down to the Sea in Ships.”
Greg sings and plays guitar, Larua sings and plays bass and harmonium. The chorus consists of Dave, Traci, Michael, Michelle, Xander, Molli, Sean, and Matt.
5 – The Black and White Pigeon (with the Eight Red Toes) – 2:05
A wonderful song written by Leeds, Hayes, and Smiles, liscensed from the Walt Disney Music Co.
We learned this song off of Burl Ives’ great LP “Animal Folk” on Disney Records.
Greg sings, plays guitar and two tone woodblock, Laura sings and plays bass, and Taylor Ross and Sam Rader do great backing vocals.
6 – Three Jolly Huntsmen – 1:57
This is a tradional song of English/American origin. There are many different variations of this song, and this is ours.
Greg sings and plays guitar, Laura plays bass.
7 – Polly Wolly Doodle – 2:08
A tradional song from the American South.
This song is a great mood-booster. You just can’t be sad and sing Polly Wolly Doodle. Try it!
Greg sings and plays guitar, Laura sings and plays bass, Matt Welch, Molli McIlvaine and Kelli Rudnick do backing vocals.
8 – Everybody Has Hands – 1:43
An original composition by our bass player Laura Steenberge.
Larua sings lead, plays bass, and claps, Greg sings backups, claps, and plays guitar, Taylor and Matt sing backups.
9 – The Little Engine that Could – 2:47
A great tune written by Pascal and Marks, liscensed from Marlong Music and Warner Bros. Music
This is an inspring ditty we learned off of Burl Ives CD “The Little White Duck.” It’s known
Greg sings and plays guitar, train whistle, and sandpaper blocks, Laura plays bass.
10 – The Whale Song – 1:17
Here’s a very silly traditonal song. There are many different versions of it, such as one called “A Horse Named Bill.”
Greg sings and plays guitar, Laura plays bass.
11 – Nelson – 3:02
This original song by Greg tells the story of Nelson, the mythical creature who lives in the Hollow Tree in the middle of the Magic Meadow, which is located in the Enchanted Forest.
Greg plays guitar and sings, Laura plays bass and sings, and Taylor, Os, and Matt do background vocals.
12 – Little Black Bull – 2:13
Next comes another traditional tune we learned off of and Ed McCurdy record. It’s also in Ruth Seeger’s book.
Greg sings and plays guitar and harmonica, Laura sings and plays bass, Matt and Taylor do background vocals.
13 – Lavender Cowboy – 2:09
Here’s an old song about a boy who wishes he was older than he is. Put on your cowboy hat for this one.
Greg sings and plays guitar, Laura plays bass.
14 – Bunny Hop – 1:50
Some say that this original song by Greg is the perfect kid’s song: it combines repeating refrains, hopping around, and animal sounds and clocks in at less that two minutes.
Greg sings and plays guitar, Laura plays bass, Taylor sings.
15 – Song of the Fishes – 3:12
This is a salty one! A very old sea song which is instructional as well as entertaining. We put this version together from versions by Alan Mills, Pete Seeger, and Burl Ives. There are many more verses out there – can you make up your own?
Greg sings and plays guitar, Laura plays bass, Os and Matt sing backup.
16 – Shoo Fly – 1:18
We have here a traditonal American song about the annoying fly. Watch for the key change.
Greg sings and plays guitar, shaker, and tamborine, Laura plays bass and sings, Molli and Kelli sing backups.
17 – Buckeye Jim – 2:12
We leave you with a haunting slow song. A traditional American song we learned from Burl Ives, Richard Dyer-Bennet, and Dan Zanes.
Greg sings and plays guitar, Laura plays the bass with a bow.
Instruments
2004 Martin 000-28
A fine steel string guitar from Martin. It’s smaller body and short scale mean that it’s not as loud as some, but it sure it sweet.
The “000” is the body size (smaller than a “D”) and the “28” means it has rosewood back and sides. Her name is Missy.
2002 Taylor NS32CE
This is a very sweet nylon string guitar with pickups in it. It’s very expressive and sounds great plugged in.
Spruce top and Sapele back and sides.
Laura’s German Double Bass
I can’t remember who makes it, but her name is Brunhilde.
I also used two tones of a three tone woodblock which I got at McCabes’ Music.
The train whistle was the large wooden variety.
I made the sandpaper blocks myself using sandpaper, wood blocks, and a stapler.