Joanie Leeds and the Nightlights in Good Egg

“Hey, hey, stop following me, Shadow-oh-oh-oh,” Sunshine sings as she walks past me. I smile. It’s a song from a new CD we’ve been listening to in the truck, Good Egg by Joanie Leeds and the Nightlights. If Sunshine is singing songs even when the music isn’t playing, then I know she likes it

My girls are harsh music critics. A song or piece of music has about ten seconds to catch their attention, and if it doesn’t, they’re begging me to switch. So I always try a new CD with a bit of trepidation, excited for some new music to listen to and yet waiting to see if they’ll actually like it or not. And when I put in Good Egg, they listened.

The title song, “Good Egg,” is a play on words that start with “egg” sounds: “I am egg0cellent at math and science. I egg-cel at dance and art…” Another song, “The World Is Your Oyster,” plays with idioms or figures of speech. Many of the songs tell stories, like “Food Fight” and “Dino on the UWS.” Sunshine’s favourite song was “Dr Lowett,” and she kept asking me to skip ahead to “the pediatrician” song. My favourite is the last song, “I Love You,” a sweet lullaby with violins soaring with Joanie’s low voice.

Joanie has been singing since age two. She majored in musical theatre at Syracuse University and began composing her own songs there. Then she moved to New York City, bartending and performing until she discovered a passion for making music for kids at a Manhattan Gymboree. Good Egg is her sixth CD and Joanie has also released a full-length DVD for kids.

Good Egg is a fun CD we’ve all enjoyed listening to. The lyrics are fun and the tunes are upbeat. If you’re looking for some new music for your kids, I recommend Joanie Leeds and the Nightlights.