Elizabeth Mitchell (musician)

Elizabeth Mitchell (musician)

Elizabeth Mitchell (born 1968) is a founding member of the indie rock band Ida. As a solo artist, she has been recording and performing music for children since 1998. Elizabeth was the first new children's music artist signed to Smithsonian Folkways in the 21st century. She has released six albums of children's music, including her 2006 release You Are My Little Bird, which was voted Best Children's Album of 2006 by Amazon.com. Elizabeth has collaborated with musicians including Levon Helm, Dan Zanes, Ella Jenkins, Jon Langford, Lisa Loeb, and Ziggy Marley. She can be heard singing a duet with Ziggy on his 2009 release Family Time. Elizabeth records and performs with her husband Daniel Littleton and daughter Storey Littleton, as well as violinist Jean Cook. They live in the Catskill Mountains of upstate New York.

Smithsonian Folkways Recordings released Elizabeth Mitchell's album Sunny Day on October 5, 2010. Sunny Day features performances with Mitchell’s husband and musical partner, Daniel Littleton, their nine-year-old daughter Storey and Storey's cousins and friends. The album features two original songs written by Storey, and guest performers include Levon Helm, Dan Zanes, Jon Langford (Mekons), and the Children of Agape Choir of South Africa. Songs on the album range from traditional American folk songs, to Japanese and Korean nursery songs, to fresh new arrangements of popular songs.

Smithsonian Folkways Recordings released Elizabeth Mitchell's album Little Seed in 2012. Little Seed features performances with Elizabeth's husband, Daniel Littleton, daughter Storey, as well as other musical friends. The album is dedicated to Elizabeth's interpretation of America's musical bard, Woody Guthrie, including the well-known track, "This Land Is Your Land." The album was nominated in the Best Children's Album category for the 55th Annual Grammy Awards.

The album Blue Clouds was released by Smithsonian Folkways in October of 2012. Elizabeth's inspiration began from a bedtime story that her husband Daniel used to tell her daughter called "Land of the Blue Clouds." As with her previous albums, Elizabeth collaborates with her husband Daniel, daughter Storey, and other musical family and friends. The album includes covers from various artists including Jimi Hendrix, David Bowie, and Bill Withers, as well as her own compositions.