First time on CD/Digital for this sought after classic.
When Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood premiered in the 1960s, no one would have expected it to have the impact it continues to have to this day. One of the things that made it special, was the music. Host and songwriter, Fred Rogers, found his perfect accompanist in pianist, Johnny Costa. The performances, flourishes and embellishments Costa and the band made during the show (all performed live) not only enhanced the experience, they taught viewers something else—they taught them about jazz.
In 1986, Rogers and Costa teamed for the last record released on Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood Records: Johnny Costa Plays Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood Jazz. Costa, Carl McViker on bass, and percussionist Bobby Rawsthorne, take an instrumental journey though 13 of Rogers’ classic songs, retaining their original compositional intent, but breathing new life into them. The release has been out of print for decades, fetching top dollar on the collector’s markets. It returns for the first time on CD and Digital.
Academy®- and Grammy®-winning director Morgan Neville (whose 2018 documentary, Won’t You Be My Neighbor?, reawakened our love for Fred Rogers) contributes an introduction in the packaging, while Musoscribe’s Bill Kopp traces Costa’s history and work on the program in an informative essay.
With the upcoming November release of A Beautiful Day In The Neighborhood (starring Tom Hanks as Fred Rogers), the beloved Mister Rogers and his neighborhood will once again be front and center in the hearts, minds, and ears of everyone. This is the perfect time to dig deeper into the sounds that formed
Won’t You Be My Neighbor? You Are Special It’s You I Like Sometimes People Are Good/Children Can Medley What Do You Do? I Like To Take My Time Everybody’s Fancy Please Don’t Think It’s Funny Something To Do While We’re Waiting Many Ways To Say I Love You Then Your Heart Is Full Of Love Did You Know? It’s Such A Good Feeling
