Amy and I wrote this song for our daughter when, at the tender age of one, she got her first pair of glasses. We had worked out the first verse and the chorus in the car on the way to and from the optometrist! We took our time to write the bets 2nd and 3rd verse and bridge that we could. This is dedicated to the kids who get to see the world in a new way in return for picking up a new habit of wearing the spiffy specs!

My Glasses

Two  saxophones, an electric guitar and a chiming bell announce to the listener that something special’s about to happen. Then along come the gritty, rock-infused voice of Jason Didner and the golden, smiling voice of Suzi Shelton singing of a land where children are free to be who they really are inside. 
When this song was first written and recorded in 1972, it was hard to imagine a society where women could be astronauts and men could happily cook dinner for their families. This new version of the tune celebrates some freedoms of gender that these artists enjoy, like Jason painting his daughter’s nails pink without worrying about stigma.

Music by Stephen J. Lawrence, Lyrics by Bruce Hart © 1972
Published by Free to Be Foundation
Produced by Marc Bazerman (BazeMusic.com)
Engineered by Matt Ryan at Homefront Studios (homefrontstudio.com), Caldwell, NJ and Marc Bazerman at Big Yellow Duck Studios (BigYellowDuck.com), New York, NY 
Mastered by Randy Merrill at Sterling Sound (sterlingsound.com), New York, NY
Jason Didner—lead vocals, guitars, alto sax, keyboard, hand claps
Suzi Shelton (SuziShelton.com)—lead vocals, hand claps
Casey McCleary—keyboard, backing vocals
Alyssa Menes—alto sax
Ross Kantor—drums, percussion
Jim Goodwin—bass guitar
Marc Bazerman—percussion


Free to Be...You and Me (feat. Suzi Shelton)

Special guest Suzi Shelton raises all our games with this unrelentingly optimistic rocker as a new take on the classic title track of Marlo Thomas and Friends' groundbreaking Free to Be...You and Me album and TV special in the 70s. It was an important early musical experience for me that I take great delight in recreating for you and your kids. 

Free To Be...You And Me (feat. Suzi Shelton)

a little tropical, a little jamband, a lot of fun for kids to grab Mommy or Daddy's hands and jump up and down on their beds to the beat of this irresistibly funny tune. Think of it as the sequel to "Five Little Monkeys!"

Too Big To Jump On The Bed

This rock/pop tune has a classic 70s Jersey Shore sound full of bells, jangling guitars, sparkling piano and some big power chords in the breakdown. It'll make you feel like a kid all over again, marveling at how Santa spends his summer vacation on the beach. 

Summertime Santa

ROOAAAAR! Did you know that the land we now call the State of New Jersey once had its own dinosaurs? It's true! We had the Hardosaurus Folulki, which we bring to life at our shows in the form of a puppet named "Bruce." Guess which Jersey musician most strongly infuenced the sound and energy of this fun track. Amy, Holly and the band roar along with me on this one. 

Jersey Dinosaurs

A 70's style arena rock tune laden with big guitar riffs as the musical backdrop for a tall tale about a sports flying disc that does some amazing things to help a young character get more done and have more fun! Ron ("Polka Dot!") Albanese provides a guest lead vocal alongside Jason. This song needs more cowbell (played by Amy Didner)! 

The Ultimate Frisbee (feat. Polka Dot!)

An energetic power-pop number that celebrates the powers that make real life heroes and comic book heroes special, exploring traits that everyday kids and grown-ups might find in common with these heroes. Features the cutting-edge synths of The Singing Lizard. 

My Superpower

An upbeat celebration of the wonder of summertime sights like seeing a yellow banner plane fly over the sea. 

Little Yellow Plane

Synth pop tune for kids and families - educational - tells the story of Bao-Bao, a panda cub who lives in a "Panda Kindergarten" with 15 furry classmates in a wildlife center in China. Lyrics by Amy & Jason Didner. Music by Jason Didner. (c) 2017, All Rights Reserved. 

Produced by Jason Didner
Jason Didner – Lead and backing vocals, synthesizer, acoustic guitar
Backing vocals by Amy Didner, Holly, Natalie, Maya and Elisa
Mastered with LANDR Automated Mastering Services

Pandagarten

An acoustic songwriter demo for an upcoming Jungle Gym Jam single, "Open Skate!"

Open Skate! Songwriter Demo

Jason Didner and the Jungle Gym Jam is an award-winning "kindie" band that brings a true rock-n-roll spirit to songs that emphasize kindness, active play, imagination and love of learning. The band's debut album "Everyone's Invited!" was honored with the Parents' Choice® Approved seal and was named CD Baby Editor's Pick as it entered the online music retailer's top 10 kids/family album charts.

The singer and his band, based out of Montclair, NJ have been compared to Bruce Springsteen, The Ramones and even "Elvis Costello in a particularly good mood." Families in and around New Jersey and New York have found themselves in a good mood too at the public libraries, school functions, street fairs and public parks where the band performs a lively and interactive concert with lots of call-and-response, and opportunities for young audience members to portray the characters in the songs using the puppets the group provides.

Prior to forming the Jungle Gym Jam, Jason scored a YouTube and radio hit with "You Can't Get There from Here in Jersey," a comedy song that was featured on NPR's Car Talk.

Jungle Gym Jam

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