Lishy Lou and Lucky Too! New music from Lucky Diaz & the Family Jam Band

As a kid, I was drawn to variety shows.  I adored The Carol Burnett Show and Barbara Mandrell and the Mandrell Sisters.  I couldn’t get enough of PeeWee’s Playhouse.  And don’t even get me started on The Muppet Show.  My love for that series can’t be contained in one blog post.

I often wish that my kids were able to experience the, well, variety of a variety show.  We’ve been lucky enough to stream Pee Wee on the iPad.  And I’ve subjected them to more Muppet episodes than I should.

But now, there’s something more recent for me to sink my teeth in to.  And something my kids can experience along with me for the first time.

Lucky Diaz & the Family Jam Band, the L.A. based group led by the adorable husband and wife team of Lucky Diaz and Alisha Gaddis, are releasing their newest album October 1^st.   And it’s full of variety.

Lishy Lou and Lucky Too! is the latest brainchild from this group, which was recently nominated for a Latin Grammy for their Spanish language album Fantastico!

It’s presented as an old-timey radio variety show, with an eclectic cast of characters and humorous banter interjected in between songs, complete with an announcer introduction and its very own theme song.

Don’t make the mistake of listening to this album on Shuffle.  It sounds best running in order, as one “bit” leads nicely in to the following song.

Like the joke-ridden discussion before the song “Jackie”, which provides baseball puns sure to induce a grimace or snort here and there.  Yes, they’re gimmicky.  And sure, they’re a smidgen over the top.  But the energy of the banter suits the mood established by Alisha and Lucky perfectly.

Plus, my 7-year old lives for these kinds of jokes.

And often, you’re rewarded handsomely for sitting through the punch lines.  “Jackie” spotlights the famous baseball legend Jackie Robinson and hits home (pun intended, insert rim-shot) the pay-off of perseverance.   Another historical figure, Amelia Earhart, is featured in the song “8000 ft”.

“Thingamajig” is a song about those items that just don’t have a name.  Its upbeat zestfulness practically begs you to get up and move, as do many other songs on the album.  Hey, Lucky and Alisha, if you’re ever looking for backup dancers in the Central Ohio area, my family is available for auditions.

Though it’s a children’s music album, there some nuggets included on Lishy Lou and Lucky Too that the adults can enjoy as well.  And I don’t just mean the Jack Benny reference at the end.

I cried the first time I saw “Till There Was You” in The Music Man as a child.  It’s a gorgeous piece of music, one of my all time favorites, made even more sweeter by Lucky and Alisha.   “Goodnight My Love” is another luscious lullaby, sounding like Deathcab for Cutie for the preschool circuit.

“When I Grow Up” closes out the album, a song about not just about assuming a role when you grow up, but becoming a role model.  Certainly a lesson anyone can adopt at any age.

I only have one criticism about this album.  It’s too short!!

Lishy Lou and Lucky Too is available October 1, 2013 and will be available on their website and Amazon.  For more information on this project, the scoop on the characters, and a glimpse at more videos, head on over to

You can also find out more about Lucky Diaz and the Family Jam Band by checking them out on and , or on their website.