To promote the record release, we dropped 5 new music videos each day this week (videos below).
Kids Can Groove kicked things off on Monday with a Mista Cookie Jar interview and the premiere of Hold on to Your Dreams filmed in the California Redwoods, featuring Chocolate Chip fam bam regulars, Tembra Campbell and her daughter, Lyrin. Tuesday, geek-blog, Cooperdiem, dropped the 360 Virtual Reality music video, “The Way We Gets Down” co-produced with Mighty VR and Rite Shot Media -- a couple all nighters to get this one off the ground and running! Wednesday, Out With the Kids was next with our 3rd installment of the week, “Be a Little Angel,” featuring young ballerinas from Venice’s very own, Starrfish Dance Academy. Thursday, Full Van Fun, along with a fun "8 is Enough" 8 question interview, premiered, “Jelly Beans” hilariously animated by 15 year-old kindie rocker/DJ, Trevor Walls, of Goober Kids Radio and the Zing Zangs. And lastly, Zooglobble premiered the album and a brand new song/video, “Young at Heart,” featuring claymation by the amazing Portland-based artist, Alex Chiu.
The praise and response to all the videos has been overwhelmingly wonderful. On behalf of my family -- the Chocolate Chips, the Missis, & myself -- thank you to all of those who have posted, liked, & commented. Big ups to those who have helped out in the production & promotion of the music and videos. And #infinitegratitude to our family, friends and the whole "kindie" community. Your support means the world! Music is a true labor of love and we couldn’t be happier to share it with you all. Hope you enjoy the new record!
--Mista Cookie Jar
Mista Cookie Jar and his family band, the Chocolate Chips, present their 3rd album, Music is Everywhere. 11 anthems of old-soul wisdom reimagined for fresh 21st century ears. Each song, an eclectic and wholly original blend of styles and genres set, in turn, to the soulful and spirited vocals of Mista Cookie Jar. Exploring themes of youth, coming of age, and family life, Cookie’s playful and poetic lyrics guide the listener through the joys and wonders of each musical world. Highlights include featured vocal performances by fam-bam Chocolate Chip regulars, Ava Flava, the rappin’ & croonin’ teen, & Tembra Campbell with her bluegrass stylings. As producer, Mista Cookie Jar brings his brand of "Urban Island Folky Rock 'n Roll for the Inner Child" to new levels -- it's the Way of the Cookie Jar. Motown, big band swing, honky tonk, surf rock, classical, rap, ska, reggae, bluegrass, and on and on. Favoring (at least for this album) an organic audio texture in a world of blips and beeps, Music is Everywhere is comprised mostly of real instruments played by fingers, hands and feet. Follow Mista Cookie Jar on a musical journey into unimagined realms, crossing cultures and traditions, revealing the song of life with each moment in a return to innocence.
Dedicating a full year to the craft of the song, Mista Cookie Jar & the Chocolate Chips have selected choice tracks from their “single-a-month” run from 2014 to 2015, their “3’s a Charm” EP as well as a couple exclusive unreleased tracks for this album. Many songs have already been featured on family music radio stations, blogs and podcasts, including WXPN’s Kids Corner, WFDU’s Kids Crossroads, KUTX’s Spare the Rock Spoil the Child, Out With The Kids, Kids Can Groove, Saturday Morning Cereal Bowl, Zooglobble, and Sirius XM’s 78’s Kids Place Live.
"LA-based group Mista Cookie Jar and The Chocolate Chis are one of the biggest champions of bringing positive messages into households. This family ensemble is eager to reach young, developing minds and to inspire thinkers, dreamers, and those of us young at heart."
"a spiritual cousin perhaps to Dylan's 'Forever Young.'" -Zooglobble , in praise of “Young at Heart”
"I freaking love this Sam Cooke inspired slow jam by Mista Cookie Jar & The Chocolate Chips. LOVE IT!...It's like b&w cameras were rolling, catching Degas painting and sculpting in the studio while Cooke laid down his classic tracks." --Jeff Bogle, Out With the Kids, in praise of “Be a Little Angel”
"There are few artists who bring a tap to our feet and smile to our heart more than Mista Cookie Jar. His music is filled with a joyous spirit that reflects itself in a musical kaleidoscope of genres beyond description, but not your soul." -Full Van Fun
