Laura Doherty

Review Two-Fer: Charlie Hope / Laura Doherty

Laurie Berkner is without a doubt the brightest female star in kids music (and quite possibly the biggest star, period), so I've been surprised that there haven't been more artists who've attempted to follow in her footsteps. There are obviously lots of successful female artists, for the most part, however, artists like Elizabeth Mitchell, Frances England, Molly Ledford, and Ashley Albert have taken different paths than Berkner's taken, that of melding bright pop takes on traditonal kids' music with catchy new melodies.

But if your family enjoys Berkner and would like to know if there's more where that came from, the answer is, yes, indeed, as Charlie Hope and Laura Doherty are two of the best artists making music for the preschoolers in your life.

Songs, Stories and Friends: Let's Go Play!, Hope's third album for families, mixes traditional tunes ("Wheels on the Bus," "Ants Go Marching," "Robin in the Rain") with some of the shiniest pop tunes you'll hear this year. "Best Friends" and "One That I Love" are sparkly and joyful, with Hope's bright, clear voice carrying the tune. Caspar Babypants repays the favor of Hope dueting on his recent album by helping out with "Alouette," while Hope's mom tells the story of "The Bear Family." Perhaps the best track might be the kicky "What I Like To Do," which uses kids' voices to great effect as individual kids sing about what they like to do, punctuated at the end with Hope singing "What I like to do / is sing songs for kids."

There's little to dislike about the album, though it sounds to me like Hope's voice gets auto-tuned a bit, not like Cher in "Believe," but just slightly more than I like to hear (and Hope probably needs). Aside from that personal bugaboo, I like the album a lot. It's 45 minutes long, targeted at kids ages 2 through 5.

On her second album Shining Like a Star, Laura Doherty plumbs a slightly less traditional, slightly less pop-py line than Hope, with such as with the wurlitzer-like keyboard on "Rocket Ship," the country/western-dusted "Quiet as a Mouse," or the circus organ on "Ferris Wheel." Like Hope, Doherty's blessed with a clear voice that elevates the material -- her samba take on the Joe Raposo classic "Sing" is excellent.

Targeted at kids ages 2 through 6, the songs on 33-minute album are very preschool-subject-focused ("Hula Hoop" is about, you guessed it, hula hooping), which may eventually limit the number of times you can handle hearing Shining Like a Star with your kids, but it'll take you longer than with most albums to reach that point. That even happens with Laurie Berkner albums eventually.

Even though they remind me (in a good way) somewhat of Laurie Berkner, Charlie Hope and Laura Doherty are charting their own course in the kids music world. Even if they never reach the heights of popular success Berkner has, on their latest albums, both artists show off their talents in a way suggesting they, too, may be around for years to come. Recommended.
- Zooglobble

There is a fine line in children's music between the monotonously boring and the oh my goodness get me out of here. Laura Doherty however never comes close to this place. She nurtures adults with inner children present, as well as children themselves. With a full understanding of the demand that comes with being a children's performer as well as an adult at a kids show she has the ability to appease all ages. Laura also has a has a massive a quirk factor. She can be seen wearing a hot dog hat explaining the toppings of a Chicago style hot dog for one of her songs and refers to "Wheels On The Bus" as the "Freebird" of kid music which is completely correct. Getting the kids groove on in full swing is a task she easily masters and seeing her play is a great way to chill and get silly with fun music.

The former director of the Wiggleworms program at The Old Town School Of Folk Music took a daring leap and decided to go full time at the kids music gig showing an intense passion for bringing joy in the world via sweet folk inspired kids songs. Her latest release Kids In The City has a beautiful cover of the Bachrach classic "Raindrops Keep falling On My Head" which allows everyone to sing along with a smile.

Laura and her band are throwing a Pajama Party this Tuesday in Welles Park to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Wiggleworms! Bring the kids to this one of a kind event where everyone is invited to come in appropriate attire.

The event is all ages and starts at 6:30. Welles Park is located at 2333 W. Sunnyside Ave. For more information call 773-728-6000 - gapersblock.com

KIDS CHICAGO - JULY 18, 2011

Chicago Mom Must-Haves
Don't Leave Home Without Them

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If it weren’t for the summer, you wouldn’t live here. If it weren’t for the winter, you wouldn’t have all that time to think about what to take when you finally leave the house. Here’s our list of don’t-leave-home-without-them favorites.

CleanWell Hand-Sanitizing Wipes
Call us germaphobes, but we don’t hit Lincoln Park Zoo without packing these individually wrapped all-natural wonders ($13).



Alphabeasties Amazing Activities Book
To reduce the risk of at-the-table meltdowns, we pack activity books. Our favorite: this sticker- and maze-filled marvel ($9).

Bumbleride Indie Twin Stroller
The light, smooth Bumbleride ($679) is perfect for anybody with two under the age of 4. And, yes, it fits through shop doorways without problems.

July 18, 2011
Laura Doherty’s Kids in the City CD
Listen up: Here’s kid music that adults love, too. She’s working on a new album now (go, Laura!), and until it comes out, we’ll bop along with her debut’s bright songs about city living. - Daily Candy Kids

KIDS IN THE CITY, by Laura Doherty, Laura Doherty Music, $13.99, www.lauradohertymusic.com; ages 3-7.

I also enjoy recommending new artists, especially when they are Chicago-based. If you are familiar with the early childhood Wiggleworms program at The Old Town School of Folk Music in Chicago, you are already familiar with Laura Doherty. She is the director of Wiggleworms and has been teaching there f
or more than 10 years.

Her new CD is wonderful and as her press materials state, this CD is for the "urban toddler," though children and parents everywhere will delight in these songs. Using Chicago as her inspiration, the CD is filled with fabulous songs about skyscrapers, the L and the zoo.

The first time I heard "Kids In The City" it reminded me of a cross between Laurie Berkner and Ella Jenkins. Pick up the CD, give a listen and see if you agree.
- Fred Koch-Chicago Parent 9/25/09

LAURA DOHERTY "KIDS IN THE CITY"

The Sound: Folk music for city folks. A warm, familiar sounding record perfect for toddlers and pre-schoolers.

In the Cafeteria, They Sit With: Frances England, Little Miss Ann, John and Mark (of John and Mark's Children's Record).

Best Moments: Doherty's covers of Robert Johnson's "Sweet Home Chicago" and Burt Bacarach's classic "Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head" are outstanding. I think I prefer her interpretations of these songs more than the originals. The last 15 seconds of "Kitty Cat" is nothing but clapping, a few kids singing along and an adorable meow - it's a lovely ending to a very cute song. "Rockin' at the Zoo", with it's pronounced upright bass and horns, would sound sweet inside a kiddie jazz club - should such a venue exist.

Bonus Thoughts: Watch the video for "Hot Dog" and take a tour of Chicago and Wrigleyville. Warning: you may find yourself salivating at the site of a real Chicago hot dog being constructed - have some munchies nearby.


Okay, Time to Wrap it Up with a Nice Little Bow: There isn't anything on "Kids in the City" that will shock or amaze you. After all, songs about animals, colors and trains aren't exactly going to set the world on fire. Usually, they're not enough to warrant a review here but, and here's the important part, Ms. Doherty spins these kiddie music staples into what essentially amounts to a collection of love songs about her hometown of Chicago. As I mentioned at least a couple times on OWTK over the past few years, there's little I love more than a touching ode to one's abode - David Tobocman's "Home", John Prine's "My Darlin' Hometown", Josh Ritter's "Idaho" - all of 'em gorgeous reflections on what it means to have a place to call your own. With "Kids in the City", Laura Doherty has made an entire album that feels as comfortable as your favorite spot on the sofa, in your favorite place on earth - Home.
- Jeff Bogle - "Out With the Kids"

Dig this new CD from Laura Doherty, the Early Childhood Music Program Director at Chicago's famed Old Town School of Folk Music. Kids in the City is full of breezy urban folk tunes featuring the Natalie Merchant-like vibe of Doherty's vocals. She had musical help from Scott Besaw on drums, Amalie Smith on upright bass, Rob Newhouse on lead guitar, Susan Marques on banjo, Barb Burlingame on trumpet, Skip Landt on harmonica, and Rick Rankin on percussion and melodica, who also produced, recorded, and mixed Kids in the City.

Doherty's album is a musical tribute of sorts to The Windy City: elevators and escalators, the zoo, public transportation, the farmer’s market, traffic, and hot dog stands all get a shout out on Kids in the City. "I Spy" references Lake Michigan and taxis, "Hot Dog" celebrates sport peppers and celery salt, the a cappella "Wheels in the City" catalogs things that roll around big city sidewalks, and "El Train" is a self-explanatory tune about Chicago's famous clickety clackin' mode of transportation.

Kids in the City is full of the sights and sounds of preschoolers' lives: "I Spy" explores the colors all around us, "Farmer's Market," with its simple vocals and banjo arrangement, has fun with names of fruits and vegetables, while "Rockin' at the Zoo" catalogs the animals you might see and hear there. And check out the wonderful melodies of "Hello Hippopotamus," "I Spy," and "Kitty Cat" (which is vaguely reminiscent of The Chordettes' "Lollipop").

Doherty's album contains a couple of future kids' classics, too. "Uncle Ukulele's Band" has instruments represent members of the family, and sounds as if it could have been featured on The Muppet Show, while the very Ella Jenkins-like “Wheels in the City” is a call-and-response, a cappella tune, with overlapping melodies and vocal lines.

And Kids in the City includes two covers I’ve never heard on a children’s album before: a quiet and tender rendition of Burt Bacharach and Hal David’s “Raindrops Keep Fallin’ On My Head,” and a chooglin’ version of Robert Johnson’s “Sweet Home Chicago."

Laura Doherty's Kids in the City is a great example of modern urban folk. Now I gotta go get a Chicago dog and a chocolate malt. - Warren Truitt - "Kids Music That Rocks"

In review of the decade, Doherty is listed as one of the best things to happen to Chicago Kids!
-Judy Sutton-Taylor
Jan. 6, 2010 - Time Out Chicago