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| Beyond the Neighborhood: The Music of Fred Rogers by Kevin Bales and Keri Johnsrud |
A recent project from local, Atlanta pianist Kevin Bales and
a previously unknown vocalist to me, Keri Johnsrud, from Chicago, caught my
attention. Titled Beyond the Neighborhood:The Music of Fred Rogers, the two
artists came together two years ago when they discovered a mutual admiration
for the music that was played on the children’s show Mister Roger’s
Neighborhood.
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| Fred Rogers ( photo credit unknown) |
The music was all written by Fred Rogers and often sung by the gangly,
good-natured show’s host accompanied his musical director the
great pianist Johnny Costa, who was known in jazz circles as the “White” Art
Tatum because of his musical facility.
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| Rogers Musical Director Johnny Costa with his idol Art Tatum ( photo credit unknown) |
Bales recalls this music as being some
of his very first exposure to the world of jazz. Rogers show, or variations
thereof, ran from 1963 through 2001 and was watched by millions of children.
The beloved, soft spoken Fred McFeely Rogers died in 2003 at the age of
seventy-four.
The eleven songs on this heartfelt tribute are all Rogers
originals with only one being a collaboration between Rogers and Josie Carey. Bales’
arrangements are careful constructions that pulse, swing, sometimes surprise and
brilliantly support the lyrical content of Rogers music, all the while taking
them into the age of musical modernity. His trio is made up of Atlanta veteran
musicians, bassist Billy Thorton and percussionist Marlon Patton. These three cats
create a singularity of sound that is quite impressive. Vocalist Keri Johnrud has
a clear, earnest and pleasant voice. Her
approach is more akin to musical theater and she can be heard at her
best on songs “It’s You I Like” and “I like to Take My Time.”
The two Rogers fans have taken songs from the program’s
repertoire. Bales is a master of probing deep into a melody, blazing multiple
paths during his improvisational forays. His bandmates are equally adept at
following his implied direction, oftentimes carving out their own creative detours.
The result is a symbiotic trio that often surprises with the direction they take
and the rhythmic diversity they display on this music.
Thorton’s bass is particularly joyful in its buoyant
abandon and his scat accompaniment with Johnsrud on the be-bop inspired “Troll
Talk” is a delight. Patton’s drums offer multiple layers of percussive wizardry
throughout the program. Johnsrud, being stirred on by these
adventurous musicians, should allow herself to loosen up a bit more and demonstrate
some improvisational gusto of her own. Her voice was perhaps most unguarded when
she improvised a bit at the end of “Look and Listen,” but for the most part she
sings within the confines of the lyrics, rarely straying outside the lines of
the music.
The music is sincere and honest and often brilliantly played. You can hear the heart and soul that Bales has poured into this project which was a labor of love for over two years. The cover artwork is a whimsical graphic by local artist Laura Coyle with layout from trumpeter and visual artist Darren English that captures the spirit of Rogers show.
Rogers lyrics were designed to communicate, love, friendship, overcoming doubt and
exploring the sometimes-complex feelings that young children experience. He was very effective in that goal and in that context the often simple lyrics were cleverly embedded into some hip music that introduced a jazz sensibility to a youthful, unsuspecting audience. Some believe that Rogers lyrics could be interpreted as having more complex, more adult meanings; the double-entendre effect (a device often employed by his raceier counterpart Soupy Sales), but I don't believe that was ever Rogers intent. Suffice to say that Fred Rogers music inspired people like Kevin Bales and Keri Johnsrud and for that we can be eternally grateful to the soft-spoken man in
the sweater and sneakers.