MUSIC REVIEW: North Denver Tribune - March 1999
Jammy Man to play free concert for kids at Cool Beans
By Elisa Cohen
North Denver – As a rock, rhythm and blues musician who regularly plays to the rough and tumble crowd in Evergreen’s Little Bear Saloon, Paul Trunko is reworking his dialogue for an audience of children. Trunko, a North Denver resident and dad, will be playing songs from his new CD “Jammy Man,” a collection of tunes for children, in a free concert for the neighborhood kids at Cool Beans coffee house, Saturday Mar. 20 at 10:30 a.m.
Inspired by the birth of his son three years ago, Trunko began to write and perform music to keep his son entertained as he changed the boy’s diapers. Working part time at Swallow Hill Music Association, Trunko teamed up with fellow musician Ernie Martinez with the goal of creating a CD that would appeal to the whole family.
The “Jammy Man,” Trunko’s latest offering, does just that, putting lyrics and music to the events of everyday living with children. In ballad form, Trunko has crafted songs about the perfect kid who eats his peas, always says please and has sweet dreams whenever he takes his naps. The title character, the Jammy Man, guards his bedroom with the authority of a sheriff against the monsters of the night, deputizing the stuffed bears and plastic horsed in the toy chest. And the marching song, “Thumb in the Thumb,” is a military cadence, call-and –answer song that marches the small child through the act of getting dressed. Children move and sing to the simple lyrics and parents can relate to everyday struggles Trunko has put to music.
The musicality of the CD keeps “Jammy Man” in the CD player. Like any good children’s offering, the music must appeal to both parents and the children in order for the CD to keep being played in a home with adults and kids. Trunko and Friends accomplish this by creating rich dialogues between the guitar, dobro and the harmonica, as well as playing songs with a variety of interesting rhythms and vocal treatments. There is a blues rendition filled with the plaintive wailing of a harmonica as well as a raggae inspired tune backed with percussive guitar slide. A country music theme drives the ballad of love and homecoming. The CD includes fast tempo songs to get the kids moving and a slow sweet waltz to lay the children down to bed.
In addition to the new music written by Trunko and friends, “Jammy Man” also contains the patriotic “America the Beautiful” and “This Land is Your Land.” “I have always loved the folk songs of this country and wanted to introduce children to classic American music. I sometimes think that with all of the Disney music the kids listen to, old-time American folk music is going to get lost. I want my kids to know American musical history,” Trunko explains.
North Denver kids have the opportunity to hear Trunko perform at a free concert at Cool Beans, 4366 Tennyson on March 20 at 10:30 a.m. For more information contact Paul Trunko at303.458.8203 or Cool Beans at 303.480.1835.
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"Acoustic Music For Kids... and Adults"
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