NEW YORK, NY (NOGGIN) - Blues legend and Rock and Roll Hall of Famer
Buddy Guy ("Sweet Home Chicago") will guest-star on NOGGIN's Jack's Big
Music Show, to kick off the network's week-long celebration of
Black History Month. NOGGIN, the commercial-free educational network for preschoolers, will premiere "The King of Swing," a never-before-seen episode of the hit preschool music series, featuring
Buddy Guy on Monday, February 6 at 12:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. (ET). Throughout the week ending Sunday, February 12, NOGGIN will present additional episodes of Jack's Big
Music Show, featuring acclaimed African-American musicians, including Yolanda Adams, Guy Davis, Anne Harris, Sweet
Honey In The Rock, and Jerry
Lawson and The Talk Of The Town.
In addition, beginning Monday, February 6, two episodes of Jack's Big Music Show will be available on Comcast VOD, Charter VOD and Cablevision VOD. "Mel's Super Swell Dance party" featuring Yolanda Adams and "Space Opera" featuring Jerry Lawson and The Talk Of The Town, will be featured on both video on demand systems through the end of the month.
In "The King of Swing", Jack wins a visit from his favorite musician of all time, The King of Swing (Buddy Guy), after Jack finds a winning "gold" CD in his new CD case. This sends Jack into a tizzy, as the clubhouse, according to Jack, isn't fit for a king - much less The King of Swing! Craziness and much music ensue until the King arrives, but Jack's trepidations are soon vanquished. His lifelong idol is a kind, friendly and warm person who seems as glad to meet Jack and his friends as they are to meet him. Jack and The King find they have much in common, and finish it all off with a bluesy, swingy jam called "The Swing Thing!"
Produced by Spiffy Pictures for NOGGIN, the 13-episode live-action series is hosted by Jack, a preschooler puppet and his melodious cast of friends who play everyday at Jack's clubhouse. Jack's Big Music Show is a new platform for kids' music and features videos and live, in-studio performances by popular children's musicians who visit the clubhouse every week. Each episode of Jack's Big Music Show features a music video performance by acclaimed children's recording artist Laurie Berkner, plus additional performances by musicians including Buddy Guy, Yolanda Adams, Hot Peas and Butter, Milkshake, Jamia, Music for Aardvarks, Rebecca Freeza, Guy Davis, Anne Harris, Sweet Honey and the Rock, and Jerry Lawson and The Talk Of The Town.
The Jack's Big Music Show episodes featured during Black History Month will run as follows:
Monday, February 6th
- 12:30 p.m. & 4:30 p.m. (ET) - "King of Swing" (See description above).
Tuesday, February 7th
- 12:30 p.m. (ET) - "The Music Genie" featuring Anne Harris - When Mel blows a funny looking horn from his musical trunk, glittery, sparkly things float over the clubhouse and then poof! - Prudence, the Music Genie (Anne Harris) appears. Prudence grants three music wishes to Jack, Mary and Mel. Mary wishes to sing with Laurie Berkner, Mel wishes he could play drums with Hot Peas 'N Butter and Jack can't make up his mind!
- 4:30 p.m. (ET) - "Space Opera" featuring Jerry Lawson and The Talk Of The Town - Today is an unusual day in the clubhouse, as Jack and Mary can't decide what to play together! Jack wants to play space explorers and blast off in his spaceship, but Mary is dressed up in her horn helmet ready to play opera singer. How are Jack and Mary going to work this out? Mel the dog decides he can help save the day and soon they are all having a blast playing space exploring opera singing!
Wednesday, February 8th
- 12:30 p.m. (ET) - "King of Swing" (See description above).
- 4:30 p.m. (ET) - "How Mel Got His Groove Back" featuring Sweet Honey In The Rock - Today, the clubhouse is rocking big-time! Mel gets a little carried away with his drum solo and accidentally sends a drum flipping through the air. The drum lands right on Mel's head, causing Mel the dog to think he's a cat! Jack tries to bring back Mel's "dog- gone" memory with his favorite dog toys and treats. Luckily, good friend and neighbor Cathy (Cathy Richardson) stops by and teaches us a song that gets Mel's doggie groove back!
Thursday, February 9th
- 12:30 p.m. (ET) - "Mel's Super Swell Dance Party" featuring Yolanda Adams - It's that time of year again for Mel's Super Swell Dance Party! Throughout the episode, whenever Jack and his friends hear someone say "dance party" - they shout "yippee!" The whole neighborhood stops by for the party, including Gospel great, Yolanda Adams, who joins Jack, Mary and Mel in singing "The Me Dance." Dancey Nancy stops by to teach everyone her super crazy dance moves and Cathy (Cathy Richardson) joins in a fantastic freeze dance game.
- 4:30 p.m. (ET) - "The Music Genie" (See description above).
Friday, February 10th
- 12:30 p.m. (ET) - "Space Opera" (See description above).
- 4:30 p.m. (ET) - "King of Swing" (See description above).
Saturday, February 11th
- 12:30 p.m. (ET) - "King of Swing" (See description above).
- 4:30 p.m. (ET) - "Mel's Super Swell Dance Party" (See description above).
Sunday, February 12th
- 12:30 p.m. (ET) - "How Mel Got His Groove Back" (See description above).
- 4:30 p.m. (ET) - "King of Swing" (See description above).
On Jack's Big Music Show, Jack takes a break everyday from his busy kid schedule to visit his favorite place in the world - his backyard clubhouse. Here he can do what he loves best - create and enjoy music, sing, dance and have a musical ball with his friend Mary, his faithful dog Mel and all of his other neighborhood pals. Anything can happen in Jack's clubhouse, as it's an extension of both Jack and Mary - focused and goofy, adventurous and safe, with a fresh and original way of looking at and hearing things. You never know when a baby bongo bird or The King of Swing may unexpectedly visit the clubhouse, or an entire show might be sung in a silly opera style!
Buddy Guy is an internationally renowned blues guitarist, singer and showman who is considered the master of Chicago-style electric blues. In a career spanning more than 45 years, he has received five Grammy Awards, 21 W.C. Handy Awards, a Billboard Century Award and in 2003, President Bush presented Buddy with The Metal of Arts, which was established by Congress in 1984. On March 14, 2005 Buddy was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame. Buddy released a new studio album Bring 'Em In, in September 2005, which includes duets with Keith Richards, John Mayer, Carlos Santana, Tracy Chapman and Anthony Hamilton. Bring 'Em In is nominated for a Grammy for Best Contemporary Blues Album. The Grammy's will be held in Los Angeles on February 6 2006.
In 1994, David Rudman, Todd Hannert and Adam Rudman started Spiffy Pictures. Since then they have created, produced, written and directed animated and live action projects for clients including: Sesame Workshop, Nickelodeon, MTV, Comedy Central and The Jim Henson Co. Their current projects include creating and producing Nick Jr. Baby's Curious Buddies brand of home videos.
David Rudman was recently nominated for an Emmy Award for Outstanding Performer in a Children's Series for his work on Sesame Street as Baby Bear and Cookie Monster. 2004 marks David's eighteenth year as a regular cast member on Sesame Street. He has also performed as a puppeteer on numerous television shows and specials, and in films, including Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Muppet Christmas Carol, Muppets Take Manhattan, Labyrinth and Elmo in Grouchland. His commercial work includes the voice and finger of Ziploc's Fingerman.
Adam Rudman is a six-time Emmy Award-winning writer for Sesame Street, Cyberchase (Nelvana/PBS), Big Bag (Cartoon Network) and Oobi (NOGGIN). He is the author of the first Cyberchase book for Scholastic, "The Search for the Power Orb."
Todd Hannert adds his imaginative touch to Spiffy Pictures with a diverse background as a designer, writer and musician in children's television and video. As music director for Spiffy Pictures, he has written the lyrics and music for all of Nick Jr. Baby's Curious Buddies video titles. Todd's most recent children's book "Morning Dance" is published by Chronicle Books.
