Gallery: Children's Concert at Sachem Public Library

In the middle of the Sachem Public Library's new garden, Inside Out, a lone little boy braves the many gawking pairs of eyes as he tentatively dances to the unmistakable sound of a vibraphone. The little boy is later joined by a group of his peers who run wildly around the grassy dance floor, playing "Ring Around the Rosie." They all fall down.

This is a typical crowd one would find at a Napoleon Revels-Bey children's concert, a jazz show specifically geared toward educating young children through the powerful force of music.

Revels-Bey is a veteran of the performing arts and music world, having performed in Broadway productions like Ain't Mis'Behavin and Bubblin' Brown Sugar, as well as with prolific artists like Gladys Knight and the Pips and jazz legend Cab Calloway.  Besides his notable performances, his educational work with children on Long Island using jazz music's improvisational magic is what really sets him apart from other musicians.

Along with the help of three other renowned musicians, Bryan Carrott on vibraphone, Paul Ramsey on bass guitar and Misha Tsiganov on piano, Revels-Bey helps cultivate something that seems to be missing in many children's lives today: an appreciation for art that often gets lost in the glossy predominance of pop music. Revels-Bey infuses Latin flavor into his jazz music, creating a fresh sound for this uniquely American pastime. It seems to be working as more children venture toward the middle of the garden, some latched on to their parents as Carrott's mallets furiously fly across his vibraphone.

The quartet only plays a few songs, including "Cherry Pink and Apple Blossom White" from Revels-Bey new album New Mo Swing, but they last in excess of 10 minutes each, luring parents and kids alike to the dance floor on the steamy Sunday afternoon. Bare feet stomp and sashay around while Revels-Bey rattles up things with his signature drum solos.

Revels-Bey not only involves the audience with his syncopated rhythms, but also with trivia. At one point he awards an eager mother with his new album for correctly identifying the "Cha Cha Cha" as the dance that accompanies their rendition of the Cuban-native dance style.

During the last song of the set, Revels-Bey channeled Cab Calloway's famous scat singing as he instructed the audience to shout "uh" in unison during their designated part. While they never mastered the complicated scat singing that Revels-Bey so effortlessly sang, they enjoyed themselves until the very last snare drum crash.

Check Sachem Patch for coverage of all events at the new Inside/Out Garden.