Review: Putumayo Kids' New Orleans Playground

For anyone who’s walked New Orleans’ French Quarter, the sounds of the Crescent City are recognizable for their upbeat, danceable rhythms and catchy tunes. The Putumayo Kids compilation, “New Orleans Playground,” is no different. From the zydeco sounds of Clifton Chenier, to Hack Bartholomew’s rendition of the eponymous, foot-stomping, “When the Saints Go Marchin’ In,” this is music perfect for Mardi Gras or year-round! Drawing upon the city’s rich cultural heritage, teaming with Cajun, Creole, and Caribbean influences, “New Orleans Playground” features New Orleans heavyweights like The Meters, Kermit Ruffins, Charmaine Neville, Fats Domino, and Dr. John. These are songs that will have children engaged, singing, and dancing—in the New Orleans second-line tradition. “Ya Ya,” Lee Dorsey’s 1961 hit, draws on children’s nursery rhymes, and Dr. John’s “Row Row Your Boat” is an only-in-New-Orleans take on the popular children’s song by one of the city’s “professors” of piano. “New Orleans Playground” is an excellent introduction to the diverse musical styles that exist in the United States.