The genres that Gill performs from vary greatly. Jazz is predominant in Step Back Sally in the dusting of the cymbals and muted trumpet, as well as through the strong bass and harmonica. There are slow scat rhymes in The Hi Dee Ho Man and Old Sock Stew has heavy folk overtones with fun fiddling and whistling. A big band sound comes out in Alabama, Mississippi with the bass sounds of the trumpet and trombone. Spaghetti Legs is a great example of the many creative and original classic children's style songs that Gill performs. He goes to great lengths in all the songs to assure that listeners feel included and he encourages them to participate. There is plenty of repetition, rhymes and the call-and-response style, like in Simone's Song (The Parrot Song) when he asks children to repeat each line of the song after him - just like his parrot would. He also relates to children through humor, whether in the lyrics (like making a stew from stinky old socks or taking a bath in a washing machine) or what listeners may find themselves doing along with Gill, such as singing "ah-ah-ah-choo!" in the sneezing song, or scratch scratch scratching their knees, nose, arm, and rear in Poison Ivy.
Help your little one get the full experience by encouraging them to follow the directional lyric. In the old Russian folk song, May there Always Be Sunshine, Gill sings the original verse and then encourages listeners to think of their own things they cannot live without, so they can sing about those things to the same tune. He gets the ball rolling by sharing some ideas other children have shared with him in the past, including dinosaurs, pizza, ice cream, music, ducks, and summer. Which things does your child want to always be around? Your little one can also learn to express their feelings in a healthy way in the song, I'm So Mad...; they can growl, cry, and laugh with Gill. Does your little one have any other emotions they would like to act out? With your child, you can also clap your hands, taps your toes, snap your fingers, slap your knees, and whistle along in Hands are Clapping. It is great practice for learning to identify and keep a beat. If you're feeling crazy, you can even join in the Silly Dance Contest, "where the silliest dancer is always the best!" The song directs participants to dance fast, dance in slow motion, jump, and freeze.
One afternoon when I was watching three-year-old friend, Sam, he had just gotten up from a nap and was a bit grumpy. Looking for ways to cheer him up for the rest of the afternoon (without having to resort to bribery), I popped in this CD. Knowing Sam's affinity for bananas, I skipped right to The Banana Song. The crease in his brow lessened when he saw me playing air drums to the beat, and a smile slowly spread across his face when I sang the lyrics, "I eat bananas for breakfast, bananas for lunch/If my mom would let me I'd eat the whole bunch/For dinner, that is, and then I'd quit/To leave room for dessert, three banana splits!" Officially cheered up by the end of the song, we proceeded through most of the CD, dancing, snapping, clapping, and giggling.
--Audra