Album Notes

Songs in 16 languages, collected over 3 decades of international touring and recorded over the course of 22 months with the help of numerous musicians in 8 studios from coast to coast. Nearly an hour of songs from such contrasting cultural traditions as Icelandic, Chilean, Vietnamese, Danish, Turkish, Greek and Hebrew, many sung bi-lingually to enhance their accessibility. Particularly poignant is the 500-year-old Vietnamese love song, 'Wind On the Bridge.'

"I've been extremely blessed for music to have been my ticket to the world over the past 35+ years. These songs that were at one time precious souvenirs of travel experiences, have become intimate friends and companions. My mission is to provide a footbridge between disparate cultures, reminding us of our interdependence with one another and all of life." --James Durst

"Someone who has definitely got it right is the much respected New Hampshire singer/songwriter James Durst. For 30 years he's been touring the globe, collecting folk songs en route and My Country Is The World is the result. He sings in 16 different languages here... the diversity is astonishing: Vietnamese, Turkish, Icelandic, Hebrew, Chinese and Danish just for starters. The perceived danger here is that it could all end up sounding like a world music sampler, but it doesn't. Durst's sense of arrangement ensures that the material is both smooth and coherent, and he is able to unite the wide spectrum of cultures he embraces. Music, they say, is a universal language and Durst emphasizes this philosophy to good effect. This is a beautiful CD and a laudable attempt to bring together such disparate folk song traditions into one broad church."
--Ken Lush, Folk Roots Magazine

"A wonderful journey through so many countries. A really beautiful work."
--Diane Sward Rapaport, Author, How to Make and Sell Your Own Recording

"Shimmering! A superlative piece of work."
--Bennett 'The Eastside Flash' Spielvogel, Musician/Recording Engineer

"We enjoyed the music very much."
--Stevie Beck, Producer, A Prairie Home Companion With Garrison Keillor