Toni Jannotta, My Little Heart, Ruthie Review
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Better late than never. Well, I am very late on this one. My hesitation was not the project, but how do I categorize this. Toni Jannotta by trade is a jazz vocalist and composer. This is a very different project all together. It’s a children’s book with a companion soundtrack and narration. What is surprisingly good is the soundtrack itself, not that the book isn’t, but being a music person – certainly its my nature to gravitate to the music. My Little Heart, Ruthie is the story of a heart in isolation that must learn to free itself. Told through rhyme and complimented with a jazz inspired musical suite underscoring the narration, we follow Ruthie’s journey, aided by her friend Clyde, as she shares her story and finds her freedom. That’s the short of it!
Positives:
The music composed by Janotta brings to life the words on the pages with rousing performances by Carol Robbins on harp, Jon Crosse on trumpet, Granville "Danny" Young on acoustic bass, Paul Tavenner, drums and Toni Jannotta herself as the narrator and piano.
Bottom Line:
Janotta has created a colorfully profound project that is rich in media and soundscapes. My Little Heart, Ruthie is highly appropriate for children, especially in the given times we live in. Building confidence in children is key to a society of empathic adults for the future, which is a cornerstone emotion with My Little Heart, Ruthie. Children of abuse have an especially hard road ahead of them and nothing is a more universal language than music. Even when words cannot console, music can. With Janotta’s childrens book she has created a multi-media platform that takes the message a step further and the healing a mile deeper. I am sorry it took me so long, a review long overdue, but timelessly relevant.