Susie Tallman's Christmas album offers more than just traditional holiday songs; she puts her personal spin on each song making them new again! Tallman puts Jingle Bells to a doo-wop beat, has a cello take the lead in Jolly Old St. Nicholas, adds a strong funky beat to Deck the Halls, makes Go Tell It On The Mountain over into a bluegrass jam, and speeds up the tempo to White Christmas while also including a mandolin solo and whistling. And that's just the beginning!  Tallman's version of The Little Drummer Boy may surprise listeners as it does not feature a snare drum beating prominently throughout the song; instead, it is a very slow and relaxing song with only softly beaten hand drums and prominent electric guitar and keyboard sounds drifting peacefully behind Tallman's beautiful voice. Tallman also slows down the traditional tempo of Up on the Housetop, with a brush on snare drum and acoustic guitar as the primary instruments. There is no lack of fun and children's participation on the album though, as children are frequently singing backup or occasionally featured as the solo singer (O Christmas Tree). The children singers are particularly enjoyable in Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, as they echo Tallman after each line with a funny addition to the song. 

Interspersed among the carols are also stories, jokes, and fun language lessons for your little one. Listeners will learn how to say 'Merry Christmas' in nine different languages: Spanish, Swedish, Portuguese, Navajo, French, Italian, Japanese, Hawaiian, and German! They will also learn a handful of holiday jokes to tell to their family and friends. My favorite was. "What do Snowmen eat? Icebergers!" Be sure to encourage your little one to sing and move to the music so they can fully enjoy the holiday spirit. How could anyone listen to We Need a Little Christmas and not find themselves dancing along and wanting to decorate the house with tinsel and holly?! The song is fun and inspiring on its own, but a strong beat and electric guitar in Tallman's version really makes the song stand out on the album. Santa Clause is Coming to Town starts the album off with a high energy bang! The upbeat tempo and children singing along with Tallman is sure to get your shoulder's rocking and singing along.

I got my two-year-old friend Kyle this album for Christmas last year. I wanted him to enjoy it longer, so I gave it to him a week early. His mom said she played it for him often while they were decorating the tree and house and when they made Christmas cookies. She said each time a child would say 'Merry Christmas' in another language, she would repeat it, then Kyle would also try to repeat it. She said it was a fun way to teach him something she never would have thought of on her own.

 

--Audra