Shad Weathersby Press

SHAD WEATHERSBY’S “LUCKY #3”
TAKES TOP HONORS AT PARENTS’ CHOICE AWARDS
Award marks Weathersby’s first Gold Award; fifth album to win

 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

New Orleans, LA (September 25, 2014) – Lucky #3, the latest release from renowned singer-songwriter Shad Weathersby, has been awarded the coveted “Gold Award” from this year’s Parents’ Choice Awards.  Lucky #3 is Weathersby’s first album to win Gold, but follows on the heels of four other titles that have been recognized, including Coming To Christmas, The Halloween, Calling All Children To the Mardi Gras (with noted author Mike Artell), and Chomp Chomp.  His albums have also won two Disney iParenting Media Awards.

Lucky #3 celebrates the human endeavor from earliest cave paintings to the present with some Sci-Fi fun along the way. The heroes of this drama are the dreamers of the impossible and the inventors of ingenuity.  Its songs are an entry point for a deeper exploration of the scientific material that underlies them.  A Teacher’s Edition has been released as well and contains a suite of teacher-written lesson plans that accompany each of the songs.  Online Science Mall has partnered with Weathersby to distribute the product.

As described at the Parents’ Choice Awards website, the Parents’ Choice Gold Awards are given to those books, toys, games, videos, software, magazines, audio recordings, and television programs that are judged as the highest quality, most appealing products in their genre. Criteria for judgments include the highest production standards, universal human values and a unique, individual quality that pushes the product a notch above others.  The recognition included the following review:

With nine albums to his credit (including last year’s wonderful The Halloween) and collaborations featuring such musical luminaries as multi-platinum pianist George Winston, Weathersby brings an unusual amount of talent and skill to the party.

Lucky #3 begins with the Bruce Cockburn-like folk of “Mystery and History,” which takes an amazed look at the extraordinary times we live in. “Atomic Monsters Have Come” melds a cool snaking rhythm to this story that summarizes every drive-in “B” movie plot, while sneaking in a subtle anti-nuclear message. The samba title track declares how we are lucky to find the perfect combination of air, water and life on our little third planet, while the semi-spoken “1977” explores an extraordinary year for science, and “Gravity” investigates the elusive forces that bind us together. Elsewhere, America’s natural wonders are covered, as in “The Great Meteor Crater” which tells the story of one the earth’s earliest visitors, and the Grand Prismatic Spring in “Yellowstone-Henico’oo’.” Prehistoric cave paintings are examined in “The Expanding Man,” while archeology is explored in the bluesy “Talking to the Rocks”. This fine album of story-songs ends with an inspired tribute to the late great American visual effects creator Ray Harryhausen.

Rarely are there albums produced for older children (ages nine and above) that are not hyperactive, trivial or pandering to current popular musical trends. Shad Weathersby has crafted an inventive, intelligent, witty and lovingly produced album, directed to the 9-14 set – and their parents. Bravo, Mr. Weathersby!

Lucky #3 has been universally well-received, with Midwest Record commenting that “you don’t have to be a kid trying to work your way through science class to like this…No wonder he wins awards from Disney”, and Children’s Bookwatch hailing it as “a fun way to stimulate inquisitive young minds, and highly recommended.”

LUCKY NUMBER 3 REVIEWS:

Weathersby brings an unusual amount of talent and skill to the party…a fine album of story songs…Rarely are there albums produced for older children (ages nine and above) that are not hyperactive, trivial or pandering to current popular musical trends. Shad Weathersby has crafted an inventive, intelligent, witty and lovingly produced album…Bravo, Mr. Weathersby!
-Parents’ Choice Awards 2014

A science lesson for kids, this is a pop look at science that’ll work wonders for the ADD generation…You don’t have to be a kid trying to work your way through science class to like this…No wonder he wins awards from Disney.
-Midwest Record

Lucky #3 is a family-friendly music album celebrating science, learning, and human efforts to learn more about the world from cave paintings to space travel! Lucky #3 is a fun way to stimulate inquisitive young minds, and highly recommended.
-Children’s Bookwatch

PHOTOS

DOCUMENTS

THE BEATEN PATH REVIEWS:

If New Orleans folk music is based on smart up-tempo pop-rock interspersed with piano balladry than it’s high time this reviewer shook away the cobwebs of prejudgment and paid more attention. Lyrically, it’s a very evocative listen. Image Mike Post (of TV theme fame) had been a member of The Band and you might get some idea of where this music is going.
-Paul Villers, AmericanaUK 

Shad Weathersby continues to stand out as one of New Orleans’ finest exports. Wrapped in a coating of Americana, folk and old-time R&B, The Beaten Path finds new breath in traditionally solid footing. Bluesey folk-rock riffs and great harmonies make this a solid diamond effort.
-Smother.net

The musical style is Alt Country, with a little of the New Orleans soul and rhythm and blues mixed in, and the opening track, Tell Me, has an extremely beefy sound with some punchy backing by his band which recurs throughout the album. The songs range across many topics, but somehow they all reflect on the indomitable spirit of New Orleans and its music. It also ironic and profoundly fitting that Weathersby is also a woodworking craftsman and at the same time he was recording this album he was helping to refurbish and revive the furniture damaged in the floods. You’d expect an album written and recorded after Katrina to be be a rather sad affair but that isn’t the case, The Beaten Path is actually a pretty upbeat album with many tracks that rock.
-The Border-Land