Building on the momentum of her 2008 Parents' Choice® winning album, City Kid, popular NYC-based children's musician Joanie Leeds looks forward with excitement to the March 23 release of her second kids' CD, I'm a Rock Star. Joanie will celebrate the new album with a rocking family show at 10:00 a.m. on Sunday, March 14 at the Jewish Community Center in Manhattan (JCC Manhattan), 334 Amsterdam Ave., NYC.
Joanie says, "I love the way City Kid, turned out, but I wanted to bring a more sophisticated sound to I'm a Rock Star. The blueprint for I'm A Rock Star includes exploration, self-expression, and variety, all in a musically authentic context. The tunes showcase a goodly number of styles, and I wanted this to be fun and positive, but it was also important for me not to make musical compromises. I'm so excited about the way the album turned out that I can't wait for the release!"
Joanie Leeds' audience will be treated to a high energy, interactive performance for the whole family, featuring such "Joanie standards" as "Sushi," "Ice Cream," "Blast Off," plus an array of songs from I'm a Rock Star that dance across a constellation of musical genres, ranging from indie & classic rock to hip-hop, from folk to jazz, from R & B to cartoon. The album's title track, with a classic rock beat, inspires young listeners to think of themselves as performers, get creative, and actually "do" music. Other highlights include "More Cowbell," a funny, hip-hop song; "I like Jazz," in which Joanie acquaints young listeners with the sounds of jazz via an alphabet-inspired medley; "En Español," a funny song with Spanish lyrics about how Joanie doesn't know how to speak the language, even though she grew up in Miami; and "Joanie Says," a "Simon Says" ditty with an Amy Winehouse feel.
Joanie's sure to have kids dancing like crazy during her "Freeze Dance" song, and she'll give away prizes to all the awesome dancers. In the song "Pretend," kids will act out the lyrics, pretending to be movie stars, superheroes, and dinosaurs. In "Popcorn," a swing tempo rock tune in a Bill Haley mode, kids will pop like corn kernels as they sing along.
Known for her soulful, "rock solid" voice - both heartfelt and immaculately polished - Joanie Leeds creates music that resonates with families coast to coast. Her presentation is notable for its child-appropriate clarity, yet vocally Joanie soars easily through a remarkable array of styles with such an enviable power and dexterity that adult listeners forget her intended audience is under age 10. Joanie truly rocks! Her popularity with NYC families is such that Time Out NY Kids dubbed her one of the "best at-home sing-along entertainers for kids."
2009 was a banner year for Joanie Leeds, with gigs in NYC, Los Angeles, Miami, Baltimore, The Hamptons, Memphis, Nashville, Asheville (NC), Cleveland (GA), and Washington, DC. Joanie was a guest on radio shows in Miami and Nashville and appeared on Good Morning Maryland (WMAR/ABC-TV, Baltimore). Her songs have been spinning regularly on The Saturday Morning Cereal Bowl and other "kindie rock" radio programs and podcasts, and she released two music videos to YouTube.
Joanie Leeds is currently working on a soon-to-be released full length DVD, an animal concept children's album due out 2011, and a children's book-with-CD.
For more information, visit http://jccmanhattan.org or Joannie's website at www.citykidmusic.com.
