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Music
Michael & Jello have released four full CDs of songs
and activities designed to stimulate and educate children. The first, entitled I
Wish my Nose was a Chocolate Bar was released to strong sales and
positive reviews in 2000. The follow ups, Monkey See Monkey Do
(2003) and What's Shakin? (2005) were released to continuing acclaim from parents, educators,
and music critics. Michael & Jello's newest CD is entitled It Must Be Jelly, 'cause Jam Don't Shake.
All four CDs are available for sale in select stores, by mail order from us, or through any of these websites that offer individual songs or complete albums for download.
On this page you will find a lot of great information
about Michael & Jello CDs and the very talented musicians who make
them. Learn about Michael Anderson and his guest musicians, read synopsis
and complete song lists from the CDs, and hear audio
samples from all three recordings.
Looking for SONG LYRICS to your favourite Michael & Jello songs?
Want to find FUN MUSIC ACTIVITES for kids?
All our song lyrics and activities are now online! Check it out! |
Michael Anderson
Michael Anderson is presently teaching music
in 25 child care centres in the Toronto area. He has been performing
and creating music with children for over 15 years. Highlights
include working with Juno award winner Jack Grunsky, and with
Matt Maxwell (Comment Ca Va?).
Mr. Anderson has taught numerous musical workshops
in children's educational centres including:
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The Clarke Institute of Psychiatry
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The Children's Own Museum
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University of Toronto French School
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The Children's Book Store
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The Hospital for Sick Children
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Toronto Public Libraries
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Parks and Recreation programs and Summer Camps
In addition to numerous child care centres, Mr.
Anderson has performed music with children in Parkdale's Redwood
Shelter, and has worked with children with autism through The
Geneva Centre's C.H.A.P. program. Mr. Anderson has integrated
music in the school curriculum within Parkdale Public Schools'
Seamless Day program and performed for students at Queen Victoria
Public School. Highlights involved joint School and Child Care
Holiday Concerts, and monthly E.C.E/ Kindergarten sing-a-longs
with groups larger than 100 children.
Michael Anderson has studied music with some
of Toronto's top musicians and performed Japanese Koto with the
Ursa Major Society under the direction of University of Toronto
East Asian Studies Professor Ken Richards. |
Collin Barrett
Bass: Collin was born in England of Jamaican heritage and his family emigrated to Toronto in the 1970s. Collin's innovative style on the Bass guitar mixed with his engaging personality have created a constant demand for his "bass stylings" in everything from hard-core funk to elusive jazz. He is a well respected
musician in the industry today whose work spans artists such as Leonard Cohen,
The Governor General and many of Canada's top jazz musicians.
Colin Barrett plays Bass guitar on numerous tracks on both "Monkey See Monkey Do" and "What's Shakin?".
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Neil Brathwaite
Saxophones: Neil has joined the
group and brings years of experience on the R&B club scene in Toronto and is now Music Director
of the Toronto 1 talk show.
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Ben D'Cunha
Vocals: Ben is a graduate of Humber
College's world renowned Jazz program and performs with
his own trio in the Toronto area. Ben sings both lead
and background vocals.
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Mark Kelso
Drums and Percussion: Born in Belfast, Ireland, Mark has made Toronto his home for quite some time. Not only is he a skilled musician who plays drums and an assortment of percussion instruments, but he is also a talented singer, producer and composer as well. As an in demand session player and veteran touring the world, Mark has lent his "killer grooves" to such performers as Pete Townsend, Holly Cole, Amanda Marshall, Amy Sky, Donny Osmond, The Montuno Police, and Shania Twain.
Mark Kelso played drums and percussion on the songs "Octopus" and "5 Green and Speckled Eggs", on Michael & Jello's newest CD, "What's Shakin?".
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Odell Johnson
Drums and Percussion: Odell has
been a staple of the Reggae scene in Canada and in the
U.S.A. for quite some time. Odell played for and continues
to play with the Peter Tosh band and performs and promotes
his own original music.
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Dan Kircher
Engineer: Dan engineered, programmed and mixed all the songs on Michael & Jello's newest CD, "What's Shakin?"
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John Magidsohn
Lead and Background Vocals: John sang lead and background vocals on Michael & Jello's newest CD "What's Shakin?.
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 Elaine Shields
Vocals: Elaine performs with the
Riverdale Youth Choir and has hosted a live Internet talk
show. Elaine has joined the group for both studio projects
and sings great classics such as Tony Chestnut and Zoom
Zoom Zoom.
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Additional Michael &
Jello players:
Gadi
Foltys: Bass,
chicken shake, drum programming on "I Wish my Nose
was a Chocolate Bar"
Paul
Shuebrooke: Keyboard solo on Sambalele ("I
Wish my Nose was a Chocolate Bar")
Brianna
& Lily Shields - Anderson: Poems and back up vocals on "Monkey See Monkey
Do" and "What's Shakin?" |
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It Must Be Jelly, 'cause Jam Don't Shake was released in 2008 and is the newest CD by Michael & Jello. It features nine new songs, previously released classics and, for the first time, karaoke versions of audience favourites. Now you (or your child) can be the star of the show! Also included on the CD is the music video for "A Little Bit Up & A Little Bit Down" and directions to music activities.
SONG LIST:
1) Corner Grocery Store
2) 1 Little Raindrop
3) 5 Green and Speckled Frogs (remix)
4) Che Che Koolay
5) I Have A Little Pony
6) Over the River and Through the Woods
7) Moonshadow (Cat Stevens)
8) Octopus (remix with French verse)
9) Eat Your Food
10) Tony Chestnut
11) Hokey Pokey Macarena
12) Banana's Unite
13) Sambalele
14) Les Petites Marionette
15) 1 Little Raindrop (karaoke version)
16) Baa Baa Black Sheep
17) Baa Baa Black Sheep (karaoke version)
18) My Dog Rags
19) My Dog Rags (karaoke version)
20) Kalimba Lullaby
GUEST ARTISTS:
Ben D'Cunha: Lead and Background Vocals
Bryant Didier: Electric and Acoustic Bass
Elaine Shields: Lead and Background Vocals
Mark Kelso: Drums, Djembe and Percussion
Collin Barrett: Electric Bass Guitar
Neil Brathwaite: Tenor and Soprano Saxophone
Gadi Foltys: Bass Guitar
Anthony Giambrone, Jon Magidsohn, Lily Shields, Aurora Shields: Guest Vocals
Hear examples from It Must Be Jelly, 'cause Jam Don't Shake in the audio samples below! |
What's Shakin? is the third CD by Michael & Jello, which is comprised of Michael Anderson and special musical guests. Special guests this time include Mark Kelso on drums and percussion, who has played and recorded with many of Canada's top artists including Shania Twain and Holly Cole. Also joining the project again is Collin Barrett on Bass, who has performed with Mark Kelso on many projects including the musical Tommy by the Who.
These top notch and heavily respected musicians bring a highly energized and sophisticated energy to this collection of children's dance songs, poems and games. Basing his shows and workshops on Early Childhood Education concepts, which encompasses a child's need to participate in and experience music, Michael performs and teaches music for Monkey Business Creative Services.
What's Shakin? takes children's music to different levels of appreciation and participation. The styles of music range from Rap (on Alphabet Stew), to New Age (on Kalimba Lullaby), and heavy Rock on a retake of Shake My Sillies Out. As children approach school age they inevitably become interested in pop music and culture. But, what are they supposed to listen to between Sharon, Lois and Bram, and Simple Plan? What's Shakin? gives young sophisticated minds something to hang on to with its urban feel, reflected in its cover of graffiti from the streets of Toronto's art community.
Songs like 5 Green and Speckled Frogs are totally transformed to be funky, jazzy and hip, while maintaining their original content. For the (parent), child in all of us, Michael has included songs like Paul Simon's Mother and Child Reunion, and Graham Nash's Teach Your Children. These are songs that deliver a message for the young and old. Mother and Child Reunion is a tribute to Cari-Lynn Gaulton, whose young life and that of her unborn child were taken as a result of domestic violence, which Michael was exposed to when working in shelters for women and children displaced by spousal abuse.
Michael has once again taken on a bold approach to children's music and fused the sounds of the Japanese Koto, the South African Kalimba, and guitar distortion into one eclectic mix of music.
SONG LIST:
1) A Little Bit Up & A Little Bit Down
2) Octopus
3) Alphabet Stew (in a rap style)
4) 5 Green and Speckled Eggs
5) My Dog Rags
6) Strawberry Shortcake
7) Shake Your Sillies Out (heavy rock style)
8) Do Your Ears Hang Low
9) Head & Shoulders / Tete Epaule
10) Shoofly Don't Bother Me
11) Mother & Child Reunion
12) Stella Ola Ola
13) Kalimba Lullaby (new age style)
14) Teach Your Children
15) Goodnight
GUEST ARTISTS:
Ben D'Cunha: Lead and Background Vocals
Elaine Shields: Lead and Background Vocals
John Magidsohn: Lead and Background Vocals
Mark Kelso: Drums and Percussion
Collin Barrett: Electric Bass
Neil Brathwaite: Tenor and Soprano Saxophone
Bri & Lily: Spoken word poems
Hear examples from What's Shakin? in the audio samples below! |
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Monkey See Monkey Do is Michael & Jello's
second release, and follows I Wish My Nose Was A Chocolate Bar
released in 2000. Michael & Jello (a.k.a. Michael Anderson and
highly respected musical guests), hope to build on the success
of the first CD, which caught the imagination of many parents,
therapists, educators and children. "Monkey see monkey do" is
a phrase that was once used to mimic another, yet today it can
describe the way children learn in simple terms. They see an act
and they follow or echo the action or behavior.
Monkey See Monkey Do was created mindful
that children today are very sophisticated in their musical tastes,
and are accustomed to hearing contemporary music. Despite this
grown-up appreciation, children still want to be entertained at
a child's level. Monkey See Monkey Do mixes the instruments
and cultural sounds of Africa, Turkey, Jamaica and beyond in a
pop music style. Children can dance, sing and mimic the popular
song actions while enjoying the introduction of instruments from
around the world. This diverse collection of activity poems and
songs was made for the educator, the parent, and the child within.
SONG LIST:
1) Six Little Bumble Bees (A Caribbean math song)
2) Eentsy Weentsy Spider
3) Zoom, Zoom, Zoom
4) Vive le vent/ Jingle Bells (in a Folk Jazz style)
5) Wheels on the Bus (in an Afro-Beat style)
6) Tony Chestnut
7) 5 Little Monkeys (with a Reggae groove)
8) Criss Cross, Apple Sauce
9) Finger on your Head
10) If you're Happy and you Know It (clap your nose)
11) 12 Months
12) I Don't Want to Live on the Moon
GUEST ARTISTS:
Ben D'Cunha: Vocals
Elaine Shields: Vocals
Odell Johnson: Drums and Percussion
Colin Barrett: Bass
Neil Brathwaite: Saxophones
Brianna & Lily Shields-Anderson: Vocals
Hear examples from Monkey
See Monkey Do in the audio samples below! |
I Wish My Nose Was a Chocolate Bar is a
collection of 13 songs designed to enhance a child's language
development and provide physical activities for young children.
The CD was created with the knowledge that young children like to listen
to pop music and have very sophisticated tastes. Baa, Baa, Mouton
Noir is a song every child knows in one language, so this
version is sung in both English and French. The song is given
3 distinct musical styles starting with a quiet Calypso style
rhythm, then moving to an African style groove and ending
in a easy listening Ska treatment that is sure to make anyone dance
or tap their toes.
I Heard My Dog Bark is a modern, rock-funk song to replace Old
MacDonald had a farm. Children are given the opportunity to
make the sounds of a dog barking, a cat meowing, a horse neighing
and (everybody's favourite), a lion roaring. The sounds themselves
are left out of the mix to give children the opportunity to
add their own flavour or rhythm to the song.
I Wish My Nose Was a Chocolate Bar has a full band sound
on most songs with a variety of talent coming from Ben D'Cunha and
Elaine Shields (on vocals), Paul Shuebrook (on keyboards), Gadi
Foltys (on stringed bass, and percussion) and Michael Anderson
(on vocals, percussion, guitars and trombone).
The CD, which is approximately 20 minutes in length, can be enjoyed
by children individually or in group situations. Many child
care centres have already expressed high levels of listening
enjoyment and participation from children.
SONG LIST:
1) I Heard My Dog Bark
2) Bananas Unite
3) Baa Baa Mouton Noir
4) Hokey Pokey Macarena
5) Les Petites Marionnettes
6) Sambalele
7) Five Little Monkees
8) Sleeping Bunnies
9) Sticky, Sticky, Sticky Bubble Gum
10) Grizzly Bear
11) I Wish My Nose was a Chocolate Bar
12) An Elephant
13) Ah Ta Ka Ta Nuva
GUEST ARTISTS:
Gadi Foltys: Bass
Ben D'Cunha: Vocals
Elaine Shields: Vocals
Paul Shuebrooke: Keyboard
Hear Examples from I Wish My Nose was a Chocolate
Bar in the Audio Samples Below!
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