I received a copy of this CD in exchange for my honest review.

I wasn’t sure what to expect when I popped “Beanstalk Jack” in our car’s CD player.  But I was immediately intrigued and immersed in this modern album based on the story of “Jack and the Beanstalk”.  I love this new rendition, that breathes life into this classic tale.

Beanstalk Jack

Beanstalk Jack tells the story of “Jack and the Beanstalk” with the addition of a refreshing girl-meets-boy twist, a tribute to the spirit of optimism, and more than a hint of youthful rebellion.  Jack, our intrepid hero, armed with his six-string guitar, climbs the beanstalk to seek his fortune. At the summit of the towering vegetation, Jack meets the giant’s daughter, Harmony, a bright star just waiting for the right band to come along. He steals Harmony’s heart, and they run away to follow their dreams and make music together, leaving the greedy giant to languish in the celestial dust.

This album is a story, and a collection of songs. While the whole album has a catchy, but cool sound to it, every track delivers something a little different, keeping you engaged in the story and the music.

The group that performs this album is led by Tami Stronach, founder of the Paper Canoe Company.  If her name or picture looks familiar, you may remember her from the iconic 1984 film, The Neverending Story (in which she played the The Childlike Empress).  In Beanstalk Jack, she sings lead vocals alongside Greg Steinbruner and Julia Joseph.

Tami Stronach

The rest of the group on this album includes a variety of musicians, performing both vocals and instruments.  I love the variety, which add such a great element to the album.

Kristin Andreassen: Guitar and clogging
Tom Ayers: Guitar
Stephanie Coleman: Fiddle
Jeff Cubeta: Piano
Karina Denike: Vocals (Back up)
Jefferson Hamer: Guitar
Robin MacMillan: Drums
Mike Merenda: Banjo
Morgan Price: Saxophone
Sam Reider: Accordion
Ryan Scott: Guitar
Jacob Silver: Bass
Roy Williams: Piano

Beanstalk Jack Band

These songs are so catchy, but not annoying like some children’s music.  It is hard to not to move along to the music, because these are truly toe-tapping songs.  I love the combination of styles too, with a folksy, rock music blend with lots of other influences.

You can listen to a sample track here:

This album has a runtime of 50 minutes, and although it can be enjoyed by all ages, kids ages 5-8 will most enjoy it.

The Paper Canoe Company is releasing Beanstalk Jack on February 2, 2018.