Seattle musician Chris Ballew first began recording children's folk songs under the name Caspar Babypants in 2009. Known in the rock world as the leader of '90s alternative group Presidents of the United States of America, Ballew made his first children's recording in 2002 as a fundraiser for the non-profit Program for Early Parent Support. After meeting his wife, collage artist Kate Endle, he began to write and record as Caspar Babypants, with Endle handling the visual aesthetic of the project. Following the release of 2009's Here I Am!, Ballew's warm, whimsical tunes were augmented by collaborators Fred Northup and Ron Hippe, who acted as Babypants' live band and played on most of his recordings between 2009 and 2012. Since 2012, Ballew has generally performed as a solo act. Along with his many original efforts like Rise and Shine! (2014) and Away We Go! (2016), Ballew has also recorded two albums of Beatles covers called Baby Beatles! and Beatles Baby! His 13th release as Caspar Babypants, Jump for Joy!, arrived in 2017. Over the next two years, three more Babypants efforts arrived, including 2019's Flying High!, which was nominated for "Best Children's Music Album" at the 62nd Annual Grammy Awards. ~ Timothy Monger
