NICK JR. ARTIST DAVID WEINSTONE PRESENTS MUSIC FOR AARDVARKS AND OTHER MAMMALS ALL I WANT! Comprised entirely of new songs, All I Want! is David Weinstone’s sixteenth Music for Aardvarks recording. In this album, Weinstone proves once again that his imagination is truly limitless! He continues to go where no children’s song writer has gone before both musically and lyrically, soaring through an exhilarating range of styles and executing them with superb musical literacy and a richness of instrumentation. Weinstone brings authentic childhood experiences to life with a sophistication and intelligence rarely seen in the kids’ music genre, updating and incorporating the best of the past to create music for today’s children that is grounded in tradition, yet culturally hip. All I Want! is a fascinating CD that brings together an outrageous number of pop/folk/rock/blues styles to communicate a singular message Weinstone seems to impart: “All I want is me and you!” In a world where children are bombarded with external stimuli from screens of all sizes and classes of all manner at an increasingly younger age, (baby yoga meditation class! - is that even possible?) and parents are busier than ever just trying to make ends meet, the core needs of our children remain the same. What kids need and really want from parents is simple; time and attention. In light of this message, All I Want! is an appeal to parents, thru the eyes of a child, to rise to the challenge of realigning their thinking to accommodate and embrace the emotional language of their children. Kids thrive on the simplicity of going to the beach, fishing, dreaming of flying, creating a snowman or a farm of popcorn trees, and using dance to express feelings that are difficult to verbalize. Adults rush through life. Kids don’t, and should not be expected to. Several tracks on All I Want! offer a contemporary take on the uncluttered simplicity of Woody Guthrie’s children’s songs. “I Want a Puppy” is pure Woody, a kind of grandson of “Talking Dust Bowl Blues.” “Better Keep Your Eye on Me’ features a happy, two-beat fiddle, while some top-notch finger picking embellishes the laid-back lyrics of “Fishing Song.” “Count to Ten” recalls a bit of ‘50s genuine country music, with 5-string banjo and an old-time spoken introduction layered over the sound of a record needle on scratchy vinyl. There’s even a protest song with an appropriately whining melody for the two-and-under crowd, “Stroller Trouble.” Weinstone originals such as “Mighty Milo”, “TV” and “All I Want!” offer a complete change of energy, rocking out with heavy sonic contrast, sophisticated harmonies, and a powerhouse contemporary sound. David Weinstone is one of the few baritone singers with the ability to make his voice really work for children’s music. It’s a kid-friendly voice that makes kids think, “Wow! Here’s an adult who sounds like he would like to play with me.”