Blair Casdin

Every parent has probably spent plenty of time listening to tinkly, treacly, and all too often grating music for and about kids. Blair Casdin’s CD is, happily, none of these. It’s also not, strictly speaking, for kids, but the New York singer takes inspiration from her two daughters in re-imagining songs that vary from classics like “Them There Eyes” or “Come Rain or Come Shine” to Shawn Colvin’s “I Don’t Know Why.” Casdin’s flexible, smoothly earthy voice soars over expressions of love for her girls, in a diverse group of styles: bossa nova, jazz, folk. The album (subtitled “sophisticated songs for jazzy parents”) is meant for grown-ups, and those who’ve found themselves singing whatever ditty they could remember for a lullaby will enjoy these songs—but kids seem to love them, too.