Laura Veirs On World Cafe

Laura Veirs sings folk songs for children on her 2011 album Tumble Bee. - Laura Veirs sings folk songs for children on her 2011 album

Portland singer-songwriter Laura Veirs has been known to draw inspiration from her immediate family. Early on, memories of summertime camping trips powered her lyrics. More recently, the birth of her son, Tennessee, pushed her to record an album of classic folk songs for children, aptly titled Tumble Bee: Laura Veirs Sings Folk Songs for Children.

The record's 13 tracks, produced by Veirs' Grammy-winning husband Tucker Martine, cover a wide range of songs from the past century in a way that children and parents alike should enjoy. Veirs' vocals bring out the best in older pieces by Jimmie Rodgers, Woody Guthrie and Harry Belfonte. In addition, Tumble Bee features guest appearances from Bela Fleck on the banjo, as well as vocals from The Decemberists' Colin Meloy and My Morning Jacket's Jim James.

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