Sprinkle a 'Pocket Full of Stardust' with Cathy & Marcy and Watch as Their Musical Magic Helps Children Drift Off to Sleep

31 December 2000

Cambridge, MA –From the artists and producers of "All Wound Up!" comes a delightful new CD that entertains kids and parents through all the stages of winding down the day. "Pocket Full of Stardust" is the newest release in a trilogy of lullaby albums from five-time Grammy award nominees Cathy Fink and Marcy Marxer.

"Pocket Full of Stardust" follows two Grammy-nominated recordings, "Blanket Full of Dreams" and "Pillow Full of Wishes." With this new collection of original songs, Cathy & Marcy go with a young child's flow for a whole new kind of lullaby album. With its reassuring lyrics and slow but sure evolution of tunes, "Pocket Full of Stardust" may just provide the answer to many a weary parent's wishes.

The magic starts by taking advantage of the high energy level of young children. The first few tracks encourage listeners to feel "The Rhythm of the World" and to giggle at the sleep advice in "The Silliest Dream." The mental gymnastics continue with "Counting Cars on the Sleepytime Train." A hint of drowsiness may come with "A Pocket Full of Stardust" but there's still time left for a little "Jiggle and Tickle" before settling down. Kids will make a tradition out of changing clothes to the tune of "I Got Pajamas."

With the gently rocking song "Sail Away Together," it's time to turn down the lights and settle under the covers. As children remember all that they are grateful for ("Thank You") and hear the sibilant "Whispers" and the hopeful "Wish for Tomorrow," it's not long before eyelids are heavy and the Sandman takes over. The album effectively helps children to feel relaxed, comfortable and safe enough to surrender to slumber.

"We wanted to create an album that plays with the natural way children approach bedtime," says Cathy Fink, whose nephew Spencer appears on the colorful album cover. "First they shake out the excess energy, then they want a story, a glass of water, a song, another story, a snuggle and -sooner or later they get sleepy."

Guest artists on the album include the University Park Children's Ensemble, whose angelic voices invite young listeners to sing along. Members of Ensemble Galilei, known for their Irish, Scottish and early music recordings, add to the incredible mix of instrumentation here. Cathy & Marcy are master instrumentalists on the guitar, mandolin, cittern, five string banjo, steel drums, joia tubes, ukulele, hammered dulcimer and assorted percussion instruments.

"Pocket Full of Stardust" is Cathy & Marcy's 11th family music album. The duo recently gained widespread critical acclaim for their rousing polka-party collaboration with the Texas roots band Brave Combo. "All Wound Up!" was just named the 2002 Indie Award Winner for Children's Music from the Association for Independent Music (AFIM). It was also nominated for a 2002 Grammy Award and won five other national awards. Since its release last year, "All Wound Up" has consistently charted at the top of Amazon.com's best-seller lists for all music categories, soaring to number one in February.

Cathy & Marcy have also released two concert videos and several eclectic folk albums for adults and have authored a number of songbooks. They have participated in numerous literacy programs and were artists in residence for 2 summers in the Washington, DC Public Libraries, performing free concerts in all 20 D.C. libraries in 2000 and 2001. Their busy schedule includes workshops and/or keynote presentations at Library and Early Childhood conferences nationwide. A typically fun and interactive Cathy & Marcy concert opened the 2001 National Book Festival at the Capitol. More information about Cathy & Marcy is at www.cathymarcy.com.

"Pocketful of Stardust" is just one more example of the sophisticated and fun family music collection from Rounder Kids. Rounder Kids is the family music division of Rounder Records Group. The company just completed its 30th year as America's premier independent label, with an award-winning catalog of some of the top artists in folk, jazz, country, blues and rock music. The family music label won more than 29 awards last year, including a 2002 Grammy nomination for "All Wound Up," the fifth Grammy nomination for Cathy & Marcy.

The recording is available now at retailers nationwide. For more information on Rounder Kids music, or to order directly from the Rounder Records Group, call toll-free 1-800-ROUNDER or visit www.rounder.com.