The Silly Jazz Band is a children’s music project and educational program created by Camille Harris. Their critically acclaimed children's album, Baby on the Subway, won both the Parents' Choice Awards and the Tillywig Toy Awards. Its title track was featured in IFC/College Humor's Comedy Music Hall of Fame.
The Silly Jazz Band has performed with the Brooklyn Public Library’s “Stomp Clap and Sing” program for five years and has enjoyed three residencies at the Park Slope Library. Camille is a vocalist on the Grammy Award Winning Children’s Album, Home, by Tim Kubart. Her musical Muffin Man is published by and available for licensing by Samuel French Inc. and has been performed by High Schools around the United States. Her compositions have been featured on projects and commercials for clients such as Nickelodeon, Adobe, Merrill Lynch, and more.
A Silly Jazz Band program is a joyful mix of jazz concert, music class, and dance party. Camille and her jazz band provide a mix of clever and modern takes on classics like, “The Wheels on the Bus,” “Old MacDonald,” “Chopsticks,” as well as a variety of original songs like: “The Monster Under My Bed”- includes audience participation encouraging both kids and adults to make monster noises “The Backwards Alphabet”- an original melody that teaches the audience how to sing the alphabet backwards “Baby on the Subway”- an urban children’s song celebrating public transportation “Get Up and Try Again”- Camille’s answer to “The Itsy Bitsy Spider.” The Silly Jazz Band also has a children’s Bebop project called “Baby Steps,” featuring singable lyrics that are age appropriate (and funny) to teach children how to sing challenging and complex bebop songs like, “Giant Steps” (now “Baby Steps), “Take 5,” (now “Take Fries”), “Donna Lee,” (now “Dino Lee”), “Nica’s Dream, and more!
About the Program:
Programs available:
Silly Jazz with Camille-
A 45 minute interactive music and sensory play class for ages 0-3. Learn how to sing the alphabet backwards, how to clap your hands and how to sing-a-long to famous jazz bebop tunes!
The Silly Jazz Band Concert-
Come sing and dance along to classic bebop songs like "Giant Steps," and "Donna Lee," using Camille's original singable lyrics! An hour long concert with top-rate New York City jazz musicians to expand your child's musical horizons and encourage development.
Press Quotes:
"Mr. Rogers is smiling down from heaven on this one, both in the music and the message. Let this be your neighbor!” - Jazz Weekly
"Will have children bopping along and jazz loving parents wanting to hear the recording again and again." - Parents' Choice Awards
“The Metropolitan Transportation Authority is not known for producing smiles, but cute infants and toddlers in transit can still elicit giggles and grins...Camille Harris celebrates that phenomenon” - New York Times
"Richly-conceived jazz harmonies and melodies abound amidst standout performances and stellar arrangements." - Tillywig Toy Awards
“A bundle of high-energy, joyful fun, Baby on the Subway is a choice pick for personal and public library children's music collections.” -Midwest Book Review