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..he and the band are so musically gifted that they almost create their own style of music. ~Dave Loftin - Chattanooga Parents Paper : September, 2009 --AssortedBaltimore's Child : May, 2009 ... a genuine gem. When It's Good, It's Really Good Musical Notes - A Frog Named Sam By Charlotte Bohn First of all, if your child has a friend named Sam, you must get this CD for his or her birthday. I gave it to a friend for her son Sam s first birthday, and I think little Sammy got a kick out of it. Well, at least his parents did. The CD was released March 24, and it s sure to be a hit among the 4 and older age group. Ben Rudnick is no stranger to the kids music scene. His four previous family music CDs received national acclaim, including awards from Parents Choice, the Children s Music Web, the iParenting Media Awards, and the John Lennon Songwriting Competition. Rudnick has a real knack for writing catchy toe-tapping songs, and A Frog Named Sam delivers some real winners. The title track tells the story of a frog with an itty-bitty problem he doesn t like the water. So, he does what all frogs do when they don t like the water he moves to the city to start a rock band. Rudnick s quirky and imaginative lyrics are what I think make him stand out among other children s music artists. Kids will laugh at the words and jump around to the high-energy music that accompanies the fantastical tales. In the style of American roots music, Rudnick delivers a tremendous sound with the help of fellow musicians and their drums, accordion, guitar, ukulele, mandolin, harmonica, dobro, baritone and tenor sax, and double bass. All these instruments make songs such as the doo-wop Three Little Fishies really rock. The two instrumentals, Ben s Jig and John s Jig, are perfect for an impromptu dance around the living room. Arrangements of the classic folk tunes Erie Canal, Old Joe Clark, and Greensleeves are refreshingly hip and current. It s always an absolute treat to get a CD such as A Frog Named Sam sent to me for review. I may love to rip a CD to shreds, but it's even more fun to come across a genuine gem. Mike Ayers - Grandparents.com : June, 2009 Put A Frog Named Sam in the CD player and the title track will instantly remind you of the Grateful Dead. The psychedelic, swirling guitars might not immediately sound like something a toddler would like, but the rhythmic croaking of Sam (a frog who doesn t like water and is heading for the big city) is genuinely lovable. And that s how Ben Rudnick, an award winning, New England-based musician, has always made children s records. Rudnick melds highly skilled musicianship with fun spins on kids interests like milk shakes and race cars, and adds a youthful slant to traditional songs. --AssortedTrying to pinpoint exactly what style of music Ben Rudnick performs is almost impossible. That s not to say that he s trying multiple genres, but rather that he and the band are so musically gifted that they almost create their own style of music. Ben Rudnick & Friends are pushing 10 years in the family music industry, and they show no signs of slowing down. A Frog Named Sam opens with what sounds to me like jam music for the tots. (I can picture small children across the country swaying like trees in their living rooms.) I m not a jam band fan, but the title track is pretty darn catchy. The disc keeps going with the folksy, hoedown sound of Race Car and Old Joe Clark. If you d like to get your entire family dancing and just having an overall great time together, pop in this CD. --Dave Loftin - Chattanooga Parents Paper : September, 2009