In 1980 we moved to Florida, only 2 hours away from Walt Disney World, so we were blessed to visit often. In 1993, at the age of 4 month old, I brought my oldest son, Aaron to Epcot for his first magical evening in a Disney park. His nursery was decorated in baby Disney characters and Disney music played on the cassette player in his room. Fast-forward 21 years to Aaron’s wedding where we danced to “Baby Mine” from Dumbo for the Mother/Son dance.

I wish my father was still alive because I know he would love the Jazz Loves Disney project. He loved jazz and Disney music so for him this may be the perfect music combination. Every time I listen through the CD, I think of him…and I weep. You see, November 17, 2016 will mark 1 year since my dad passed away. The hurt and sadness are still very close to the top of my emotions on any given day. Whenever I’m in the parks, hear a Disney song, or see a Grumpy t-shirt my heart leaps to my throat. As hard as it is sometimes, I am thankful to have this album to help me remember how much my daddy loved Disney.

About Jazz Loves Disney

Walt Disney loved jazz and paid great attention to the writing of the music accompanying his heroes’ adventures. Teams wrote and played the songs that at some point acted as catalysts of the emotions and personalities of unique characters such as Jiminy Cricket, Baloo, Tinker Bell or Toy Storys cowboy Woody. Several of these tunes have either been nominated for or won Academy Awards, a true acknowledgment of the quality of such beloved and enchanting future standards, which many jazz and pop stars have covered at some point in their career.

Jazz Loves Disney was recorded between Paris, London and Los Angeles by a dream cast. It is incredibly coherent, as if all participants had agreed to pay a rightful tribute to the most beautiful and symbolic tunes of Walt Disney’s magic world, as if nothing was too good for the stars when they revisited the classics and the sweet childhood memories connected to them.

Track Listing:

1. Jamie Cullum – “Everybody Wants To Be A Cat” – from The Aristocats
2. Melody Gardot – “He’s A Tramp” – from Lady And The Tramp
3. Stacey Kent – “Bibbidi Bobbodo Boo” (French version) – from Cinderella
4. Gregory Porter – “When You Wish Upon A Star” – from Pinocchio
5. China Moses – “Why Don’t You Do Right” – from Who Framed Roger Rabbit?
6. Raphaël Gualazzi – “I Wanna Be Like You” – from The Jungle Book
7. The Rob Mounsey Orchestra – “A Dream Is A Wish Your Heart Makes” – from Cinderella
8. Hugh Coltman – “You’ve Got A Friend In Me” – from Toy Story
9. Anne Sila – “Let It Go” – from Frozen
10. Melody Gardot & Raphaël Gualazzi – “The Bare Necessities” – from The Jungle Book
11. Laika – “Once Upon A Dream” – from Sleeping Beauty
12. Nikki Yanofsky -“Someday My Prince Will Come” – from Snow White & The Seven Dwarfs
13. The Hot Sardines – I Wanna Be Like You (French & English version) – from The Jungle Book (US release only)

Mom Maven’s Thoughts

Overall I really like this album. My favorite songs are “The Bare Necessities” by Melody Gardot & Raphaël Gualazzi and “Everybody Wants to Be a Cat” by Jamie Cullum. I just love the duet setting for “The Bare Necessities”, it works so well. “Everybody Wants to Be a Cat” is a jazz song to begin with but the instrumentation of this arrangement really allows the talented musicians to shine.

When Jamie Cullum was asked about his part in this project he said:

“Disney is the first place many of us hear and really start to appreciate music as children. I’m really seeing that now with my own kids. What is wonderful about all the music is that it is challenging, melodically and lyrically exciting and playful. Having the chance to reinvent one of my favourites from the Aristocats – a proper jazz musical – was great fun. It’s such a brilliantly subversive film with killer music in it. I hope we’ve done it justice!”

I recommend this alum for any Disney music or jazz lover. It is available on iTunes and Amazon. It would make a great Christmas gift as well.

The post Jazz Loves Disney Album Review appeared first on The Mom Maven.

Just in time to celebrate the 90th anniversary of the Walt Disney Company, Disney Music is releasing an amazing 4 CD box set of classic Disney tunes. The box set is currently available for pre-order on Amazon and will be released on November 12, 2013. Special bonus for box set purchasers: a new medley of Disney hits by YouTube a capella sensations Peter Hollens and Alex G. Peter and Alex create fully orchestrated songs using only the sounds of their voices. With well over 100 million views on YouTube alone, their sensational approach has excited audiences all over the world. Here is the video of their medley.

The Disney Classics Box Set Includes:

Disney Modern Classics

1.  Under the Sea – The Little Mermaid
2. Be Our Guest – Beauty and The Beast
3. Seize the Day – Newsies
4. A Whole New World – Aladdin
5. What’s This? – Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas
6. Circle of Life – The Lion King
7. Colors of the Wind – Pocohontas
8. You’ve Got a Friend in Me – Toy Story
9. Out There – The Hunchback of Notre Dame
10. I Won’t Say (I’m in Love) – Hercules
11. Reflection – Mulan
12. The Time of Your Life – A Bug’s Life
13.  Strangers Like Me – Tarzan (Phil Collins)
14. When She Loved Me – Toy Story 2
15.  Whopp-de-Dooper Bounce – The Tigger Movie
16. If I Didn’t Have You – Monsters, Inc.
17. Hawaiian Roller Coaster Ride – Lilo & Stitch
18. Look Through My Eye – Brother Bear
19. One Little Slip – Chicken Little
20. Happy Working Song – Enchanted
21. Dig a Little Deeper – The Princess and The Frog
22. I See the Light – Tangled (Mandy Moore)
23. We Belong Together – Toy Story 3

Disney Theme Park Classics

1.  The Tiki, Tiki, Tiki Room – Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room
2. Swisskapolka – Swiss Family Robinson Treehouse
3. Yo Ho (A Pirate’s Life for Me) – Pirates of the Caribbean
4. Splash Mountain Medley – Splash Mountain
5. The Bear Serenade – Country Bear Jamboree
6. Grim Grinning Ghost – Haunted Mansion
7. It’s a Small World – it’s a small world
8. There’s a Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow – Carousel of Progress
9. The Great Outdoors – Country Bear Vacation Hoedown
10.  Space Mountain – Space Mountain
11. Soarin’ – Soarin’ Over California
12. It’s Tough to Be a Bug – It’s Tough to Be a Bug!
13.  California Screamin’ – California Screamin’
14. The Best Time of Your Life – Carousel of Progress
15. Space Mountain – Space Mountain (2005)
16. Universe of Energy – Universe of Energy
17.  Kitchen Kabaret Medley – Food Rocks
18.  One Little Spark – Journey Into Imagination
19.  Canada (You’re a Lifetime Journey) – O Canada!
20. Golden Dream – The American Adventure
21. Finale – Fantasmic!

Disney Timeless Classics

1. Who’s Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf – Three Little Pigs
2. Whistle While You Work – Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
3. When You Wish Upon a Star – Pinocchio
4. When I See an Elephant Fly – Dumbo
5. Little April Shower – Bambi
6. The Three Caballeros – The Three Caballeros
7. Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah – Song of the South
8. Lavender Blue (Dilly Dilly) – So Dear to My Heart
9. A Dream Is a Wish Your Heart Makes – Cinderella
10. All in the Golden Afternoon – Alice in Wonderland
11. You Can Fly! You Can Fly! You Can Fly! – Peter Pan
12. What a Dog/He’s a Tramp – Lady and The Tramp
13.  Once Upon a Dream – Sleeping Beauty
14. Cruella De Vil – 101 Dalmatians
15. Let’s Get Together – The Parent Trap
16. The Ugly Bug Ball – Summer Magic
17. A Spoonful of Sugar – Mary Poppins
18. The Monkey’s Uncle – The Monkey’s Uncle
19. Fortuosity – The Happiest Millionaire
20. The Bare Necessities – The Jungle Book
21. Ev’rybody Wants to Be a Cat – The Aristocats
22. Whistle Stop – Robin Hood
23. Someone’s Waiting for You – The Rescuers
24.  It’s Not Easy – Pete’s Dragon
25. Best of Friends – The Fox and The Hound

Disney Television Classics

1. Mickey Mouse March – The Mickey Mouse Club
2. The Ballad of Davy Crockett – Davy Crockett – King of the Wild Frontier
3. The Triple R Song (Yippi-A, Yippi-I, Yippi-O) – The Adventures of Spin and Marty
4. Theme of Zorro – Zorro
5.  Scarecrow – The Scarecrow of Romney Marsh
6.  Winnie the Pooh – Winnie the Pooh and the Honey Tree
7. Minnie’s Yoo Hoo – The Mouse Factory
8. Who, What, Why, Where, When and How Day – The New Mickey Mouse Club
9. Gummi Bears Theme – The Adventures of the Gummi Bears
10. Duck Tales Theme – Duck Tales
11. Chip ‘n’ Dale’s Rescue Rangers Theme Song – Chip ‘n’ Dale’s Rescue Rangers
12. Darkwing Duck Theme – Darkwing Duck
13.  Theme to Lizzie McGuire (Extended Supa Mix) – Lizzie McGuire
14. Rockin’ at the House of Mouse (Extended Version) – House of Mouse
15. The Naked Mole Rap – Kim Possible
16.  Cheetah Sisters – The Cheetah Girls
17. Aloha, E Komo Mai – Lilo & Stitch: The Series
18. Hot Dog! – Mickey Mouse Clubhouse
19. Get’cha Head in the Game – High School Musical
20. Nobody’s Perfect – Hannah Montana 2
21. Gitchee Gitchee Goo – Phineas and Ferb
22. This Is Me – Camp Rock
23. What Time Is It – High School Musical 2
24. Everything Is Not as It Seems – Wizards of Waverly Place
25. Mickey Mouse Club Alma Mater – The Mickey Mouse Club

Disney Classics Box Set Giveaway

One lucky winner will receive their own copy of the Disney Classics Box Set valued at $49.99. The giveaway is open to US residents only. The winner will be chosen by Rafflecopter and notified by email. The winner will have 48 hours to claim their prize.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post from One2One Network and Walt Disney Records. All opinions are my own.

The post Disney Classics Box Set Pre-Order Now Available appeared first on The Mom Maven.