NEW FUNKY MAMA CD IN FEBRUARY!

The new Funky Mama CD, "Sing!", will be available starting in February!

It's 14, incredibly funky and soulful tracks.

One track, "Bananas Foster," was co-written with Ezra Idlet of Trout Fishing In America. You're gonna love it....

And...I will be presenting a revamped, updated website in January!

http://www.funkymamamusic.com/

More to come!

Moo Juice: The Musical is finished!

Get married....check.

Have children....check.

Write a musical....CHECK!!!

Moo Juice: The Musical is finished and you can hear tunes from my show at the following link:

http://www.youtube.com/user/funkymamakristaeyler

(All my YouTube videos are there, so just look for the Moo Juice:The Musical logo.)

Also, check out the following link to hear the song I did with Trout Fishing In America--"Bananas Foster."

It's the rough cut, but still feel free to dance around!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yC2gJRHsTYQ

Recording with Trout Fishing In America

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yC2gJRHsTYQ

I just got back from a great day and a half in Prairie Grove, Arkansas with Ezra Idlet and Keith Grimwood of Trout Fishing In America. We recorded a tune Ezra and I wrote called "Bananas Foster." Very funky and fun. The above link will take you to a rough first mix and we still have some tweaking to do, but I wanted to share the musical love. (And if you know the owners of Brennan's in New Orleans, let me know! We have a song for 'em...) The song will definitely be on my next CD, but a release date is FAR from now.

Thanks to Ezra and Keith for their musical gifts and to Ezra's wife Karen for the wonderful hospitality! (Ezra makes a mean pot roast.) Ezra and I hiked for a bit on his wonderful land and I got to see the treehouse he built. AWESOME. A perfect place to record good music for the soul.

Beautiful country where they live and a great place to commune with nature on their 100+ acres. So beautiful!

(Ezra and Keith's most recent release "Big Round World" was just nominated for a Grammy, so get it if you haven't already.)

Recording with Ezra of Trout Fishing In America

I will be heading to Prairie Grove, Arkansas this week to record the song "Bananas Foster" with Ezra Idlet of the Grammy-nominated Trout Fishing In America! (By the way, if you haven't gotten their new CD "Big, Round World," you need to. It's worth it for the whole family!)

Ezra and I wrote the song last year at the KC Jiggle Jam. Just killing time in the green room!
Hopefully, Keith will come on over to play a little bass on the tune, too.

Need a proper cup of coffee....

Watch this then! Love that Trout Fishing In America. The video's a hoot,too. This song ALWAYS makes me laugh. (Just so you know, Funky Mama doesn't share ALL the political views shown in the video montage and doesn't endorse any particular political, spiritual, emotional, or other view that could get me in trouble or hurt someone else's feelings or American sensibilities. There, I'm covered.)

KC JIGGLE JAM!!

KC JIGGLE JAM!

(In the above middle pic left to right: Jim Cosgrove, Monty Harper of Kids Music Planet, Dino O'Dell, Ezra Idlet of Trout Fishing In America, Krista "Funky Mama" Eyler)

What a joyful event I have been lucky enough to be a part of this weekend!
The 1st Kansas City Jiggle Jam was a huge success with thousands and thousands of folks from 5 states coming in to enjoy the following acts:
Trout Fishing In America
Justin Roberts and the Not Ready For Naptime Players
Tom Chapin
John McCutcheon
They Might Be Giants
Jim "Mr. Stinkyfeet" Cosgrove and the Hiccups
Funky Mama (Me)
Dino O' Dell
and so many other fine local acts and workshop musicians.

Now...backstage skinny and stage pics....
The morning of DAY ONE---the skies opened up and we thought we were doomed! (The Crown Center Pavilion serves also as an ice rink with NO DRAINAGE system in the middle, so it becomes a swamp. Thanks to all those squeegie-ing the stage and walkways!)

But, Dino O'Dell warmed up the folks coming in and the fun was rolling.

Justin Roberts brought in an expectedly huge crowd and gave a great show...but I had to catch his 2nd set because I played at the same time! (Here's his set list---fun fun!) I have to say, though, Justin's crowd was not nearly as large as that of Jim "Mr. Stinkyfeet" Cosgrove. It was packed! He is a superstar in Kansas City and he felt the love. It was very cool to watch and sing with him on his last song. (Jim is out in front . Hard to get a good shot from this side of the stage.)

Trout Fishing In America---well, I fell in love with their music and stage charisma immediately and am now a life-long fan. They have the smoothest act and are excellent musicians. It's no wonder they've been nominated for a Grammy 4 times and have been playing together 32 years! They are also COOL guys. Ezra Idlet and Keith Grimwood are class acts. Ezra and I talked about songwriting and how he's going to help me on some new tunes. Keith and I talked about diminished chords and key changes (by the way, Ezra HATES modulations). Great guys and both of them took time to take my Moo Juice CDs and listen to them. They stuck around all weekend to talk with everyone. I so appreciated that.
They have a new CD coming out in September "Big, Round World" so watch for it!

I didn't really get a chance to talk with They Might Be Giants (beyond a "Hey, nice set" in the greenroom as they gnoshed on Chipotle and their guitarist nursed a bad knee due to recent surgery), but did discover their broom prop that became our greenroom mascot. He manned the food table and VIP area.

Now...Funky Mama!

I had great turnouts for both shows and I want to thank all the moms and dads who stayed through rain and CRAZY KCMO heat in May! It was a wonderful experience and I loved seeing all the kids jam out to my tunes.

The above shot is of Trout Fishing with Tom Chapin backstage working out an impromtu set. Tom Chapin and I had a couple nice chats about family and traveling and the like. His guitar is sweet! Made just for him with a headstock inlay of his girls. Chapin and Trout played with Tom McCutcheon (below left/Chapin on right), as well. I don't think all 4 of them have ever played together at the same time. It was amazing! All of those guys being gracious performers, they invited Jim Cosgrove and myself to sing Iko, Iko with them. So much fun, I can't even tell you, to be in the company of such talent. The song rocked, too.
Next year....watch out! Acts are already lined up...BIG...I'm talking BIG!