A friend of mine is having a baby in a few weeks and I want to put together a mix… what I’m looking for is jazz standards that evoke a baby/child sort of feeling. Not necessarily children’s songs… a slam dunk perfect example is “Cuddle Up A Little Closer” . Or something like “Button Up Your Overcoat”. You know what I mean… the way adult lovers of the 1940’s apparently liked to regard each other as children in that infantile way that nowadays we’d only consider suitable for someone actually under the age of 5.
Kid-friendly jazz songs are good too, if you can think of any… something fun or silly or nonsense along the lines of 'Jeepers Creepers" or “Who’s Your Little Who-zis”
Thanks in advance!
Here’s a few suggestions. Obviously since they are standards you’ll find multiple versions, but I tried to include well-known artists.
God Bless the Child - Billie Holiday
One For My Baby (And One More For the Road) - Billie Holiday
Someone to Watch Over Me - Ella Fitzgerald
Just Squeeze Me (But Don’t Tease Me) - Ella Fitzgerald
My Heart Belongs to Daddy - Ella Fitzgerald
Lullaby of Birdland - Ella Fitzgerald
I’ve Found a New Baby - Sonny Rollins
Little Girl Blue - Nina Simone
Baby Won’t You Please Come Home - Louis Armstrong
In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning - Johnny Hartman
Everybody Loves My Baby - Bing Crosby
Get Bonnie Raitt’s version of “Baby Mine” (from the Disney tribute album Stay Awake). Not strictly jazz, but lovely.
Oh, and I’m going to move this to Cafe Society.
You Must Have Been a Beautiful Baby
I Found a Million Dollar Baby (in a Five and Ten Cent Store)
My Baby Just Cares for Me
Sondheim’s Children Will Listen.
Kids, from “Bye Bye Birdie.”
*Rock-a-Bye Your Baby with a Dixie Melody.
*The Beatles’ Cry Baby Cry.
The Supremes’ Baby Love
Yes, Sir, That’s My Baby
The works of Helen Kane might be the sort of thing you’re looking for. She sang in a high, babyish voice and used the phrase “boop-oop-a-doop.” Betty Boop was based on her.
Great suggestions… keep 'em coming!
Back in the day Disney used jazz musicians quite well- think the Aristocats, Cinderella, the Jungle Book, Dumbo- all have nice songs that kids like.
Irishbaby is particularly found of “Bibidi Bobidi Boo” and “Everybody wants to be a cat”. She seems amused by scat.
Louis Armstrong has such a warm comforting voice- she loves him. La Vie en Rose, Stardust and When You’re Smiling are big hits with her.