Brent Lewis' A TISKET, A TASKET, A CHILD'S RHYTHM BASKET is made up of 21 children's songs, most of which are taken from the classic kids repertoire. Songs like "Row, Row, Row Your Boat," "Old McDonald Had a Farm," and "Mary Had a Little Lamb" couldn't be more standard fare. However, Lewis's renditions of these tunes are far from ordinary.
This is a percussion album, and with the exception of some light vocals from Lily B. Lewis, each melody is played on an unusual instrument made out of PVC pipes. Similar to the percussion effects used in the Broadway show Blue Man Group, Lewis employs an array of pitched plastic tubes. The opening of each tube is struck with a paddle. As the air pushes through the tube, a distinct tone is created. On each track, the melody is surrounded by other non-pitched percussion textures such as tom-toms, cow bells, and various drums and cymbals. "London Bridge is Falling Down" is one such example of this. Lewis' version is quite upbeat and this song pulsates with exotic percussion rhythms. This modern approach to children's songs will likely encourage kids to listen, interpret and internalize music in a whole new way.