Animallegro

There are a lot of talented musicians out there, but most of them we've never heard of.
Often in order to achieve fame, a solo artist or group has to have a distinctive hook.
Weird Al is a great musician, but would we know him if it weren't for his parody lyrics?

In the 1960s, the pop band known as the Archies had a #1 single called "Sugar Sugar."
Their distinctive hook was that every member of the band was a cartoon character!
Soon other cartoon character groups, such as the Cosby Kids, came on the scene.

Behold, a little-known jazz-rock band, Animallegro, is currently recording and touring.
Their hook could possibly the most distinctive ever: There are no human beings in it!
They are all animals, some wild, some domesticated, but blended in rich sonority.

Let us introduce the individual members in the order they appear in the group shot below:

  • Frederic Showpanda, keyboardist, took his stage name from composer Frederic Chopin.
  • Tom-Tom Katt, drummer, is a former session player who backed Josie & The Pussycats.
  • Spotted Bass, bass guitar, will allow you to pronounce his last name either way. . . .
  • Rockingham, lead guitar, is often accused of overacting during stage shows. Whaddyaxpect?
  • Snappy Turtle, vocalist, is not old enough to have been in The Turtles in the 1960s.
  • Trum-Peter Swann, trumpet player, is known for his graceful style and soaring lines.
  • Reedwing, on saxes, lists bebop jazz player Charlie Parker (a.k.a. Bird) as his top idol.
  • Bonedoggle, trombonist, is constantly learning new tricks, to the amazement of his fans!

Some individual sketches based on the above group photo
have been turned into 8½×11 coloring sheets for the kids.
Just select, download, and print!

Snappy Turtle Frederic Showpanda Rockingham Spotted Bass Tom-Tom Katt Trum-Peter Swann Reedwing Bonedoggle

~ FURTHER READING ~

Animallegro's Playlist

  • All Creatures Great & Small
  • Audubon Zoo
  • Beast & Dragon
  • Beast Of Burden
  • Beauty & The Beast
  • Bird & The Worm
  • Bird Dog
  • Bless The Beasts & The Children
  • Brass Menagerie
  • Brown Chicken Brown Cow
  • Brute
  • Carnival Of The Animals
  • Cat & Mouse
  • Critter
  • Crocodile Python
  • Dog & Butterfly
  • Dolphins Were Monkeys
  • It's A Livin' Thing
  • La Fauna
  • Let Me Tell You 'Bout The Birds & The Bees
  • Lincoln Park
  • Lion & The Lamb
  • Lions & Tigers & Bears
  • Little Lamb Dragonfly
  • Number Of The Beast
  • Old MacDonald Had A Farm
  • Rat Bat Blue
  • Spiders & Snakes
  • Talk To The Animals
  • They're Not Horses They're Unicorns
  • Tigers & Fireflies
  • Walkin' My Cat Named Dog
  • Wild Beasts
  • Wolf Amongst Ravens