I Want a Dog!

I Want a Dog! Opens with some fine canine rhythmic banter on it's title track, but don't expect 41 minutes of strictly dog talk. Get set for more surprises than you ever thought possible on one disc. For many of the songs on I Want a Dog! Jamie Broza has brilliantly called upon the sophisticated stylings of Brazilian bossa nova, which experienced a tidal wave of popularity in the 1960s but often flies under the radar of today's young families. Those who are hip to the sounds of Antonio Carlos Jobim will appreciate the narrative potential of bossa nova's way of spinning out a gently undulating conversational melody spiced with a gently syncopated rhythmic lilt. This is music that never gets in the way of the lyrics, creating the ultimate story-song setting. And what lyrics Broza has created! Listening to I Want a Dog! Is almost like listening to the sound track of a hysterically zany home movie -- a document of off-the-wall family fun creatively imbued with terrific comedic timing and brainy humor. The album's third track, Jobim's classic, quot;Waters of March,quot; sets the pace for the rest of I Want a Dog! ^#^with an elegant Brazilian/Latin sound that artistically pulls together the CD in fine style. quot;Waters of Marchquot; is the only cover on I Want a Dog! ^#^and provides an excellent vehicle for a conversational vocal duet between Jamie and his daughter Carmen. Equal time is provided cat lovers with two whimsically tuneful feline narratives. A heartfelt and appropriate message is sent to parents who suffer from excessive cell phone disorder, with quot;Turn That Phone Off,quot; followed by a tuneful Spanish lesson (quot;Guatemalaquot;) and lighthearted but insightful songs about a bad case of quot;new schoolquot; fear, the perils of birthday parties, a little quot;just say noquot; therapy, and a dash of Halloween spookiness set to a Latin beat, all humorously interrupted by recurring performances from a group of three blind and rather nutty mice who sing in sweeter harmony than chipmunks.