‘Jazz-a-Bye’ a Creative, Engaging Mix

Some of the best and most varied recorded children’s music can be found on lullaby albums and now you can add one more exceptional offering to the stack: “Jazz-a-Bye Lullabye Classics,” from locally-based proDUCKtunes.

The musicians on this sleekly produced, all-instrumental recording--saxophonist Donny Sierer, drummer John Casabier, pianist Dave Goldstein and Todd Smith on bass--don’t compromise a note in their imaginative, mellow rendering of Mother Goose rhymes and cool jazz riffs.

Soothing for little ears and enjoyably sophisticated for adult listeners, the quartet serves up creative arrangements of 10 of the most familiar nursery tunes, from “Rock-a-Bye Baby” to “Mary Had a Little Lamb.”

There’s not a dud in the bunch. Two highlights: “Mockingbird,” with its sleepy bass and percussion, sweet sax and tender piano, and “Ten Little Indians,” notable for Goldstein’s soulful piano stylings.

Add this one to your shelf of keepers.

* “Jazz-A-Bye Lullabye Classics,” proDUCKtunes, available at Vroman’s Books and Old Town Music in Pasadena, Child Dreams in Sherman Oaks, some Imaginarium stores and others. (818) 996-4034; (800) 816-6706.

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Appealing ‘Wolf’: Animation legend Chuck Jones, recently honored with an Academy Award for lifetime achievement, is well-represented in one of his most recent works, “Peter and the Wolf,” an appealing live-action/animated family film that was televised in December and is now a new BMG Video release.

Created by producer-director-conductor George Daugherty, the film is based on Sergei Prokofiev’s orchestral classic and features Kirstie Alley, Lloyd Bridges and Ross Malinger as its human cast, and several comical cartoon characters created by Jones.

Don’t tune out after the credits--the video version includes an extra 10 minutes of new, post-show footage that, interspersed with animated segments from the film, gives a history of the piece and introduces the symphony orchestra instruments. It also features remarkably talented young musicians from L.A.’s Colburn School of Performing Arts to demonstrate each character’s musical themes.

* “Peter and the Wolf,” BMG Video, widely available. $14.98.

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Young Playwrights Alert: It’s time again for writers age 19 or younger to submit their playwriting efforts to the Blank Theatre Company’s “Fourth Annual Young Playwrights Festival.” The deadline is April 17. Winning plays will be professionally staged and performed in public workshop productions in June. Some winners will be included in the theater’s “Young Playwrights Mainstage ‘96” event.

Plays can be any length and on any subject. They must be legible and must include a cover sheet with the play’s title, playwright’s name, date of birth, school (if any), home address and home phone number. Manuscripts will not be returned, so don’t send originals. The submissions must be postmarked no later than April 17.

Mail to the Blank Theatre Company, Young Playwrights Festival, 1301 Lucile Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90026.

Information: (213) 661-3903.