Editorial Reviews

Ellipsis Arts' Lullabies for a Small World collects 14 bedtime songs from all over the globe sung in their native tongues, including the lovely Brazilian lullaby "Flor E Estrela" sung by Teresa Ines and the ethereally beautiful "Fais Dodo," a French classic sung by Alexandra Montano. For the most part, a great deal of care has been put into these performances to guarantee their authenticity, although the synth pads on the Italian lullaby "Ninna Nanna Ri La Rossi" give it more of a new age-y cast than expected. Still, the album is a pretty -- and pretty diverse -- collection, spanning the slightly jazzy cast that the Nikolaj Hess Trio brings to the Danish lullaby "Stille, Hjerte, Sol Gaar Ned," Bernardo Palombo's traditional, acoustic rendition of Mexico's "Maya Luz," and Marylou Seba's sprightly yet soft version of Cameroon's "Mba Mon." David Darling's "Lullaby for Erin" is the American contribution to this collection, and as lovely as it is, it would have been nice to include some more traditional American lullabies on the album. Nevertheless, with songs from the aforementioned countries, as well as Russia, Argentina, Spain and the U.K., among others -- and liner notes with English translations of all of the lullabies along with their histories -- Lullabies for a Small World delivers on its good intentions, offering many nights' worth of restful and educational music. Heather Phares, All Music Guide

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