Not for Kids Only

An aptly named album if ever there was one, Not for Kids Only combines the talents of two legendary performers, the late Jerry Garcia, singer-guitarist of the Grateful Dead, and David Grisman, mandolinist and father of "dawg music," a melding of bluegrass, jazz, swing, Latin, and Jewish klezmer sounds. On this 1993 recording, the two devoted friends make seemingly effortless music, adapting traditional and old-time folk into a personalized sound so "homemade" (with jew's-harp and tambourine) as to inspire any child, young or old, to pick up whatever's at hand to play along. From the jaunty rhythms of "Jenny Jenkins" to the cornball humor of "Arkansas Traveler" and the laugh-out-loud lyrics of "A Horse Named Bill" ("I had a girl and her name was Daisy / And when she sang the cat went crazy"), this album, with Garcia's delightful hand-drawn cover art, tickles from top to bottom. --Alanna Nash

Gravelly voices, acoustic instrumentation (mandolin, banjo, jew's-harp, etc.) and an amused, ironic approach make twelve traditional cuts extraordinary. Dead-head Garcia and partner Grisman sing the ubiquitous Teddy Bears' Picnic backed by a muted jazz horn. Older children will be amused by the witty Arkansas Traveler, the lively Hot Corn, Cold Corn (not on the cob) and the lush Shenandoah Lullaby. Parents will find themselves humming along. After all ... this tape is "Not For Kids Only."