Dan Zanes

The Steve Earle of children's music, Dan Zanes and an improvised group of friends made this amazing acoustic home-recording in 2002 as a gift for friends and family. It worked so well that his label, Festival Five Records, released it commercially in 2004. The songs themselves are the stuff of the sea -- hearty fare for strong men with lusty voices, and they make excellent sing-along fare for people of any age. But Zanes' understated, rootsy delivery lifts this above the sing-along fray: it's also wonderful listening music. "All For Me Grog" and "Leaving Of Liverpool" stand out among an album of gems.