Happy Easter Songs

Recalling rainy Saturdays spent watching black-and-white musicals on television with Mom, Happy Easter Songs hops off with Sammy Kaye and the Kaydets doing a Swing and Sway version of "Peter Cottontail." This is a lively, nostalgic, and largely secular celebration of Spring sprung by way of Easter featuring, among others, cowboy singer Gene Autry and the throaty tones of Burl Ives on the well-known "The Little White Duck." Rosemary Clooney contributes dreamy vocals to three numbers, including the childhood favorite "Lovely Weather for Ducks" and the Irving Berlin classic "Easter Parade." (Remember the adorable film of the same name starring Fred Astaire and Judy Garland?) Half of the songs make merry with rabbits, including Art Carney's snappy word-jazz--small children will enjoy acting out the tales as he tells "Flop. Mop. Cotton and Pete" and, especially, "A Thump. A Twinkle. And a Twitch... Or How to Make a Rabbit." --Paige La Grone