Holiday Gift Idea: Jazz For Babies CDs

***Disclosure: I received complimentary samples to facilitate my review. No other compensation was given. All opinions are 100% honest and have not been influenced in any way.***

We're a family full of music lovers. No, really. I mean, we are serious music lovers. I think it is in the genes. My Dad is a rock-star here in the Cleveland area. His band, The Toyz, play all over the area to packed venues several times a week. Dad sings, plays guitar, and plays the keyboards. And they play everything from classic rock to country to pop to hard rock...It's always a great time!

My dad has been in bands pretty much my whole life, so I grew up loving music of all kinds. I remember going to band practice with him and singing along to the practice tapes in the car. I have also performed quite a bit, myself. I used to sing a lot, and have won awards. I can also play guitar and piano, although probably not as well as I used to! 

My husband is also a music lover. He plays bass, but cannot sing to save his life. Yep...He is tone-deaf. (Hopefully that predisposition skips over the kiddos!) 

So it came as no surprise that my children are also very passionate about music. When I was pregnant with my Sophie, she would literally "dance" in my belly any time The Beatles came on. And it was ONLY for The Beatles, so definitely not a fluke! This prompted me to immediately purchase an entire line of nursery gear that featured the artwork of John Lennon. Her mobile even played "Imagine." 

My kids, Sophie especially, really have a great love for music, even now. They like all kinds, and love to sing and dance. So when I discovered the great CD set, Jazz for Babies, I knew I just had to have it! 

About Jazz for Babies :

Music is an international language, passed down from generation to generation. Those early sounds heard by baby create a bond that lasts a lifetime. But not everyone's music tastes include Wheels on the Bus or Frere Jacques. In the wee hours of the morning while calming a fussy baby, sleep-deprived moms or dads have been turning to the calming sounds of guitar, grand piano, trumpet, vibraphone and saxophone. In each of the five Jazz For Babies albums, parents may hear a familiar movie tune, the latest pop song or a classic standard -- acoustically -- without lyrics. It not only mellows baby but calms mom or dad so everyone can get back on track.

Jazz for Babies offers 5 different album choices:
The Piano Album
The Guitar Album
The Saxophone Album
The Trumpet Album
The Vibraphone Album

Jazz for Babies has been receiving plenty of praise, including the following coveted awards:

Parent’s Choice Silver Award 
Fall 2013 Audio Awards—All Ages

National Parenting Publications Awards (NAPPA) Honors Award, Music Category

Dr. Toy’s 10 Best Audio/Video/DVD 2013 
Dr. Toy’s 100 Best Children’s Products Award Program for 2013 

Creative Child 2013 CD OF THE YEAR AWARD (only one top award given 
per category) 
Baby CDs category

Tillywig Music & Audio Awards, Fall 2013 “All Ages” category 
Brain Child Award 

How cool is that?! These are some amazing recognitions, especially considering that this is a new producer in a very competitive market! 

Our Thoughts About the Set :

We received the entire Jazz for Babies CD set to check out for ourselves. I started with the Guitar Album, which absolutely blew me away! The melodies are silky and fluid, and the guitar mixes effortlessly with grand piano and bass in songs like Georgia On My Mind and Body and Soul. 

Soon, we checked out all of the discs. The guitar and piano albums were definitely my favorite, but they were all quite good. I was definitely impressed by the "clean" feeling of the music. A lot of kids' music is full of synthesizers or special digital effects. Not these albums! This is nothing but the soothing sounds of the musical instruments...No bells, no whistles. But isn't that the way it should be? 

My kids really liked these CD's as well. They danced, swayed, and even fell asleep hearing these beautiful and often soothing songs. Check out Xander below...He fell asleep to the Piano Album while "reading".

Overall, I would definitely recommend Jazz for Babies to all parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles out there. The quality of the music is phenomenal, and kids and adults alike will find themselves entranced. These would be great stocking stuffers for any budding Muddy Waters out there! 

How to Connect :

You can connect with Jazz for Babies on Facebook  and @JazzforBabies  on twitter.

On the Jazz for Babies website, you can check out loads of audio clips before deciding to purchase, as well! 

You can purchase the physical album for ($14.99) or you can download an MP3 album ($10.99) to play on a digital device. Pick and choose individual tracks to create your personalized playlist at just 99 cents. Order online at www.JazzForBabies.org  or directly from amazon.com  and the iTunes  store.