Once again, Steve Pullara and His Cool Beans Band have cleverly intertwined their unique brand of musical whimsy into a new CD. This time, they do it with old-world charm to create a tasty little family dish called: A Big Bowl of Musicroni! It's received "A Parent's Choice Approved Award For Children's Audio" and also a "NAPPA Honor's Award in their Best Audio for Children Category!"

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Cool Beans Music's recipe for this new CD is a nutritious assortment of Italian-style songs with pinches of Steve's cultural heritage for flavor. The tasty tunes within this collection are: Lot'sa Cousins, Maria & Don Cheech's Pizzeria, Five More Minootsa, Arrivederci Nonna, Piccolo The Dog, Pasta Pasta Pasta, Hop Along Che Si Dice, Paesans in History, Que Sera Sera, Say It Right, Bada Bing Buon Natale, Don'ta Rocka Da Boat, & Eh Cumpari (our bonus track from a previous rare Cool Beans Collection.)

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A Big Bowl of Musicroni can be purchased and sampled at CDBaby. Click or paste: www.cdbaby.com/cd/pullara2

 

If you're a Librarian, or would like to order this CD through a Library as a fan, ask your Librarian to go to these special sites for purchasing:

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Titlewave (Follett Library Resources)

Midwest Tapes and Media

Titletales (BWI Books and Audio)

Instructional Video and Audio

BWI Books and Audio

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For iTunes and various MP3 download companies click the tab for: Downloading Info

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"A Big Bowl of Musicroni" is served "al dente!" In Italian, that means it's cooked to perfection. Mangia!

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Satisfaction guaranteed! From grandmas to kids alike, this is truly an all ages CD. This music goes good with pizza night!

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"Silly, friendly and relentlessly playful - Steve Pullara serves up Kids music with an unbridled enthusiasm that is impossible to contain! Even low-carb listeners will enjoy a big helping of "Pasta, Pasta, Pasta"!

--Kenny Curtis about a "A Big Bowl Of Musicroni" Program Dir., XMKiDS, XM Satellite Radio

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"Pullara has a discernable good time serving up a collection of silly, jaunty tunes focusing on his Italian-American heritage. A consistently fun, often rocking beat keeps things rolling along with solid playing of the harmonica, guitar and banjo (much of it by Pullara himself.) From "Lot'sa Cousins" about piling all the relatives into a bus (there are too many for a car) and Ariverderci Nonna," a swaying song about saying farewell to Grandma to "Bada Bing, Buon Natale" and "Don'ta Rocka Da Boat," kids will get a real taste---replete with lot of mentions of parmesan and mozzarella--of life in a boisterous Italian clan.​ One warning: after hearing Pullara give a nod to traditional Italian music, Italian phrases (many Americanized) and copious references to all tasty dishes Italian, listeners will be ready for pizza, spaghetti or lasagna---ASAP! The CD sleeve features helpful and hilarious glossaries of words, phrases and types of macaroni---and cheese."

--Shannon Maughan, "Publisher's Weekly," Excerpts

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"A Big Bowl Of Musicroni: "Pullara invites us all to a party to learn about the Italian American culture. Laugh-out-loud songs and danceable arrangements will have you switching cultures pronto!"

--John Wood, Children's Music Reveiwer for The NAPPA Awards

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A Big Bowl of Musicroni:​​

Pullara celebrates his Italian heritage and the memory of his Sicilian grandfather in this delicious concoction of 13 songs on this award-winning album (NAPPA Honors for 2005).

He gives a flawless performance on many of the background instruments, including guitar, mandolin, flute, jaw harp, banjo, harmonica, and tambourine. Jazz, swing, rock, zydeco, and ballads are blended with Italian-style musical motifs. Pullara uses a lot of Italian words and expressions in his songs, which are defined in the liner notes. In fact, in "Say It Right," his father admonishes him to pronounce the Italian words correctly. Other songs include "Lot'sa Cousins," "Five More Minootsa," "Arrivederci Nonna," "Pasta, Pasta, Pasta" "Hop Along Che Si Dice" (a Spaghetti Western), "Que Sera Sera," "Bada Bing, Buon Natale," and others. This is an album that the whole family can enjoy listening to together."

--Beverly Bixler, "The School Library Journal"

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A Big Bowl of Musicroni:​

"If "musicroni" be the food of love, play on. Singer and songwriter, Steve Pullara, takes a linguine and language approach in this lighthearted, heartfelt tribute to his Italian heritage. There's plenty of pasta, and much toothsome Italian vocabulary-including common culinary words-often relayed in the Sicilian dialect of Pullara's immigrant grandfather. Pullara judiciously sprinkles in some of his grandfather's Italian variations on English, too. His imagination ranges widely, with topics encompassing pizza, family, and dogs, among others. Besides the originals such as "Paesans in History," which reveals just where Yankee Doodle got his macaroni, the CD includes peppy Italian folk songs and the 1950s hit, "Que Sera Sera." Pullara captures the feeling of old Italian pop and folk music through his warm and inviting performance. Highly recommended."

--Paul Shackman, "Booklist" of The American Library Association​

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"I really enjoyed "Lot'sa Cousins" which had that great Italian flavor and was quite original! I also loved hearing the counter-melody behind your clever lyrics. Congratulations on your NAPPA honors, and good luck with the new CD! Bravo!" --Janet-Marie, Executive Producer, danstarproductions.net​

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"When I first met Steve, he immediately reminded me of the Zani's in Italy that would roll their wagons into the town square and put on a vaudeville-like show. They would then lead you in singing and laughing while everyone had great old time!"

--Don Giovanni about a "A Big Bowl Of Musicroni", Host & Producer Nationally Syndicated ​

"The Don Giovanni Show"

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"Steve clearly "gets it" when it comes to creating music that simultaneously entertains kids and adults without alienating either audience. Moreover, the songs are well-recorded without excess production and hold up well after repeated listening!"

--Larry Berger about "A Big Bowl Of Musicroni", Host & Producer "The Saturday Light Brigade"
WRCT-FM, Pittsburgh, PA

 

"If you have children, or ever were one yourself, you must get Steve's music. "A Big Bowl of Musicroni" tastes really good for every age!" --George Stewart about "A Big Bowl Of Musicroni."

​--Host & Producer Crazy College​

"Making Public Radio Giggle for Over a Fifth of a Century" WDIY, WVUD, WHYY,

Wilmington DE & Philadelphia, PA​

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