Album Notes

Jamie Rusek is a practitioner in the Zen Buddhist tradition of Vietnamese teacher Thich Nhat Hanh. The music on the CD was inspired by his teachings and her personal experience. As Jamie's roots are in the Jewish tradition, this music is a blend of Jewish sound and Buddhist inspiration and will likely appeal to those who enjoy Jewish as well as spiritual music. This blend of east and west mirrors an American experience, namely arriving at Buddhism from another tradition and wishing to preserve some of the aesthetic values of those root traditions. The lyrics are carefuly worked, and serve as meditations.
Jamie hopes that the music, though mostly in the minor key touches and awakens seeds of joy in the listeners.
The CD also features two accopmlished musicians, Paula Hanke, a professional singer whose warm, expressive voice lends the CD a sense of intimacy. The pianist, Francesca Tanksley is an internationally known jazz musician. Her arrangements are fresh and interesting even after many listenings.