The Laurie Berkner Band Essentials

After playing in rock bands in the early ‘90s, Laurie Berkner found her true calling later that decade as an acclaimed children’s entertainer. But while her band operates within the folky sing-along format common to kids’ music, Berkner’s sassy theatricality steers clear of typically twee territory. Her take on “The Cat Came Back” is served with a touch of bluesy grit and a whole lot of hair-raising meows, while the string of kindergarten classics that form “ABCD Medley” are delivered with a loose, piano-bar feel. Berkner’s originals are equally engaging: “We Are the Dinosaurs” delights with its faux-scary stomps and baroque melodies.