Various Artists- cELLAbration! A Tribute to Ella Jenkins

$11.98 (CD) - www.folkways.si.edu

Reviewed by Gregory Keer

Ella Jenkins is one of America’s true musical treasures, earning a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Recording Academy. At 80-years-old, she’s still going strong in her live performances and recording for children -- she recently released the Sharing Cultures with Children album and has been seen on episodes of Barney. Her decades of dedication have resulted in this much-deserved homage to her work.

Produced by award-winning duo Cathy Fink and Marcy Marxer, this loving and joyous tribute features renditions of Jenkins’ culturally diverse songs by such artists as the producers themselves, Sweet Honey in the Rock, Tom Paxton, Tom Chapin, and Mariachi los Camperos. The album gathered two Grammy nominations (results will be announced at the February 13 ceremony), due to the fresh versions of Jenkins’ ageless globetrotting tunes, including “Miss Mary Mack” (one of my son Benjamin’s very favorites, performed by Sweet Honey in the Rock), “Jambo” (my middle son Jacob’s favorite, sung by Red Grammer), and “Let’s All Sing a Yodeling Song” (done by Riders in the Sky). A wonderful introduction to Jenkins’ treasury of music that stands proudly on its on as well.