This is a beautiful CD and its title says it all.  Half the music is Rabbi Shawn Zevit performing with his father, bridging generations.  The music is at once old and new.  Half the music is Rabbi Zevit on his own.  The CD is beautiful listening for Shabbat and for Jewish celebrations.  We\'ll be listening to it at my daughter\'s bat mitzvah next week, making the connections symbolized by L\'dor va dor all that more apparent not only with the participation of different generations, but with the Jewish music of different generations. Inspiring!
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“Ve-Shamru” by Rabbi Shawn Zevit. This wasn’t just a musical highlight; this was the spiritual highlight of the evening.
Leon Cohen, Wisconsin Jewish Chronicle

Zevit is a Philadelphia-based rabbi and teacher. He accompanied himself on a shruti, an accordion-like instrument from India that produces a drone; over it, he sent the words of Exodus 31:16-17 flying in an exultant chant that made time stand still.
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Zevit explores the Kabbalat Shabbat prayer service through original melodies written by himself and his peers, liturgical texts and a tranquil mood... on the whole, this song suite is relaxed and tasteful. Through his vocals and acoustic guitar contributions, Zevit leads the listener into an appropriately release-oriented headspace, while easy mandolin, fretless bass, violin, hand percussion and Juliet Spitzer and Rabbi Margot Stein's elegant, Jennifer Warnes-like soprano harmonies fill in the rich bluegrass-inspired soundscape.
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Shawn Zevit doesn't look much like a rock star. But he's sure got his musical chops. Were it not for the Hebrew liturgies, you could easily mistake the first half of Zevit's album, Generations: Journey Across the Ages, for a new entry by folk-rock hipsters Jack Johnson or John Mayer. The 15 songs designed to take listeners into Shabbat ripple with crisp guitars and gentle melodies, highlighted by Zevit's harmonious tenor. Even the spoken word on the first track, "Beshem Hashem (In the Name of the Holy One)" is soothing, as Zevit runs through the days of the week and intones: "Breathe it in, and let it go ... let Shabbat bring you home."

Zevit clearly knows how to build momentum in songs, from soft intros to sustained choruses. Each track blends easily into the next, creating a spellbinding Shabbat mood. Alongside him are talented backing vocalists, including several other musically inclined rabbis.
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