Zak Morgan brings all of his life experiences and a simple delight in words and music to his fourth family music album, The Barber of the Beasts, available on October 30 from the new Universal Music Enterprises label, myKaZoo Music.

The new CD, his third collaboration with producer/guitarist Ric Hordinski, features zany cover art and a 24-page, full-color insert with illustrations for all the songs, all done in the inimitable style of C.F. Payne. The album's impressive guest artists include Bootsy Collins, Robbie Fulks , Byron House (Robert Plant), Karin Bergquist (Over the Rhine), and David LaBruyere (John Mayer).

Zak Morgan featured in CityBeat ~ Zak Morgan admits that criticism of his music, the totality of it aimed at the children’s market, has a detrimental effect on his self-esteem. Given the unvarnished honesty of children, the irony of Morgan’s sensitivity juxtaposed with his chosen audience isn’t lost on him. “A kid came up to me last year and said, ‘How come on your video you look young and today you look old?’ ” Morgan recalls with a laugh. “I was tickled. I said, ‘Today I am old!’ And he went, ‘Oh!’ ” 
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Early reviews for The Barber of the Beasts

CityBeat ~ There is a perfect formula for children’s music; like with kids’ films these days, many artists try to hard to make their albums “parent friendly” and tend to go overboard, while those who “dumb things down” tend to be the most annoying. Morgan’s gift is finding the perfect balance.
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The Cincinnati Enquirer ~ The beauty of Morgan’s style is that adults are entertained as well, chuckling along to Morgan’s inventive vocabulary. The hokey pokey, or Barney, this is not. It owes more to the storytelling of Shel Silverstein, or Roald Dahl, Morgan’s two main influences.
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Shakefire.com ~ “A stellar album that was one part musical genius and another part fantastic storytelling. The mastery of the album though is Morgan’s ability to narrate story through his songs. Not only are these whimsical little tunes with quirky tales interwoven between each note, but amazing stories that have depth, detail, and a masterful storyteller.”
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Cincinnati Family (November 2012) ~ “Morgan goes all out with zany songs that include everything from a back-to-school anthem to the tale of Nicola Picariello, the friendly barber of the jungle.”
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ABCD Diaries ~ “A great variety of music...a fantastic way to introduce kiddos to many different styles of music.  These songs are educational and funny, the perfect combination in my book. A+!”
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Mommy on a Shoestring ~ “Rich with terrific stories that will only get better the more kids listen.”
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My Springfield Mommy ~ “Zak Morgan has a knack for reaching children through his children's literature, as well as his music, which pulls together the humorous story telling he is so good at, with fun and exciting music. A big hit with my 5 year old!”
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