MP3 Eskit - All Creatures Great And Small

Celebrities. Animals. American Idol. Jesus. A vocal celebration of the silly and the serious: Oprah, Letterman, frogs, and love.

22 MP3 Songs
POP: Quirky, FOLK: Political



Details:
My name is Eskit. I write songs and sing them. I am unable to sing other people's songs, so I just sing my own. The last few years I've been specializing in political satire, but have now decided to branch out into other fields of human interest. On this CD - suitable for the entire family - I offer a large helping of celebrity satire, and have made forays into both the Animal Kingdom and the Kingdom of Love. The title comes from the English hymn âAll Things Bright And Beautifulâ (words written in 1848 by Cecil F. Alexander). The first verse goes like this:

âAll things bright and beautiful,
All creatures great and small,
All things wise and wonderful,
The Lord God made them all.â

The phrase âAll creatures great and smallâ has additionally been used as the title of a book by James Herriot (1972), a film with Anthony Hopkins (1974), and a British TV series (1978). Itâs also the name of an animal sanctuary in Wales, an animal hospital in Massachusetts, and a center for wildlife rehabilitation in Maryland. And as if that wasnât enough, the line âAll creatures great and smallâ is included in one of my songs (âEarth Peopleâ). But itâs a good phrase â a great phrase â so I donât regret my lack of originality in borrowing from Mr. Alexanderâs hymn.

Although half the songs on this album were written in the five month period from September, 2006 to February, 2007, the foundation of the CD began thirty years ago (1977). Back in the old days I had a weekly one-hour show at a hippie hangout called Stone Soup Gallery in Boston, Massachusetts. The store-front space was a combination art gallery and poetry center that catered to working class locals who scorned mainstream society. I performed songs and satire, writing a new show on a new topic at least once a month. Subjects ranged from Politics to Religion to Economics. By far my most popular show was âAnimalsâ, which included the tune âMouse Songâ.

As a result, I could hardly do a gig without somebody calling out âDo the Mouse Songâ, âDo the Mouse Songâ. I complied for awhile, yet in order to avoid being typecast as a singer of sentimental rodent material, I quit singing it. But now âMouse Songâ is back, surrounded by an array of creatures ranging from Paula Abdul to Jesus. Some of these songs â especially the ones about celebrities â have no background story whatsoever. Iâve just never known that many celebrities (although I once met Yehudi Menuhinâs brother). However, several of the non-celebrity selections contain additional information. I will be posting this information on my website in the near future.

Last but not least, I especially want to thank the following for their contributions:
- Becca Leathers.. Harmony on âOprahâ
- Katy Hays ...... Harmony and obligato on âHymn To Jesusâ
- Dennis Curley... Harmony on âHymn To Jesusâ, as well as
help with the songâs vocal arrangements
- Matthew Zimmerman .... Percussion. Sound Engineer (Wild
Sound Studio)
- Gerrard Boissy ....... Graphic design. Guitar on
âRandy Jacksonâ
I also wish to thank Leon Ross and Madora Minor for being my friend. Leon was the inspiration for the song 'Black Sheep' (#9). Madora was the inspiration for the song 'Rhododendron Poppy'(#20). I will be writing more about them on my website
[See CD DETAILS, then click on SONG LIST].

All of the songs were written, sung, and accompanied by me (Eskit). I mostly played piano, but thereâs also some synthesizer and kazoo. People have told me that I am really great on kazoo, but I think they were just being sarcastic. Thanks for listening! PS ..... Total Time = 53'59"