This recording is ok. I think the best voice on the CD really belongs to Mareen McGovern who sings the song This is just the day. She has an impecable voice and she picked a good song to sing. It's one of my favorites on the CD. Holly Yarbrough does a good job, too.
I prefer Holly Yarbrough's Jazz recording which is much closer to the original music than any of the songs on the CD. What do you Do is a good one, too, with a Big band sound to it, on the Songs from the Neighborhood CD.
I'm really looking forward to getting John Ellis' new recording, which includes 6 of the Neighborhood songs. You can listen to some of the music here in sample format. It's really a tribute to both Fred Rogers and Johnny Costa since the musicians play Jazz the way Johnny Costa and Joe Negri played it on the program.
http://www.amazon.com/Its-You-Like-John-Ellis/dp/B007GNMIK4The Cd has been released today on Amazon.
It would have been nice, I agree, to have a recording with some of the neighbors on CD. I do remember some of the older recordings that were done during the earlier days. The earlier recordings had much better arrangements done, along with some fine playing by the strings. Joe Negri played on one of those recordings.
For me, I had a lot of fun attending a concert at the Symphony Hall in Boston in 1986! Betty Aberlin, Johnny Costa, Francios Clemmons and Mr. Mcgeely joined Mr. Rogers for a one hour musical concert. Betty Sang I like to take my time... I believe Purple Panda made an appearance, too. Brighams was busy that day!
I had then given Mr. Rogers a picture from our visit outside the WBZ station the year before.