Internationally Unknown by James Durst

The simplicity of the instrumentation is a plus, and your delivery is super." --Simeon Pillich

"Just in case you ever suffer from the "What difference is my life making, anyway" blues, I thought you'd like to know that at least a couple of days a week you lighten and brighten my morning stretching routine with your wonderful songs - touching, moving, funny, and just plain beautiful. Thanks again for doing what you're doing!"--Kalen, Maine

"Thanks for sending the very excellent CD from James Durst...it locked me in throughout."--Eddie Russell, 'From The Dirt Radio Show,' Columbus TX

James Durst's first album in four years contains 15 original and gathered songs that reflect James' distinctive worldview and longheld socio-environmental concerns, expressed with his characteristic humor and wordplay, lightheartedness and hope. "Melody and words and rhythm to the bone..." (--from the title song, 'Internationally Unknown.')

The collection is sparingly produced, very much like a live set. Durst's vocals and guitar are prominently mixed up front, supported by New York session players Ritt Henn on upright bass (except for Mark Murphy on 'Twelve Gates') and Jagoda on hand percussion. Durst's life partner, Calcutta-born Ms Madhumita Chakrabartti, joins him in his arrangement of 'Duranta Ghurnir (Life is a Whirlwind)' by the renowned Bengali composer, Salil Chowdhury.

Since founding Work o' the Weavers (www.workotheweavers.com) in 2002 to celebrate the musical and social contributions of America's pioneering folk quartet, The Weavers, James has focused on getting the group out and about. The release of 'Internationally Unknown' marks a return to balance between his group and solo endeavors, and reaffirms his personal vision.

As a solo artist since the mid-'60s, James has performed his songs in more than two dozen languages for audiences of all ages in 45 countries throughout the Americas, Europe and Scandinavia, in the Middle East, Southeast Asia, Japan, Russia, Azerbaijan, and most recently, India and Israel. More about James Durst can be found at www.jamesdurst.com.

1) SONG FROM SLOVENIA Imagine yourself sliding across the back seat of a speeding auto careening perilously along the steep mountain roads that join the Slovenian cities of Maribor and Ljubljana. The song recalls my white-knuckle experience and the blurred images that gathered on the page along the way.

2) INTERNATIONALLY UNKNOWN In my 40-some years of global touring, I’ve made a career out of performing my songs for folks who’ve had no idea who I am, and as a result, no expectations for me to live up to. I can go virtually anywhere and capitalize on the element of surprise (see my last CD), and enjoy the benefits inherent in playing for people whose experience of me is a blank canvas upon which I may paint freely. Liberating!

3) A MIGHTY DAY Last year’s Hurricanes Katrina and Wilma brought to mind this song which commemorates the great storm that devastated Galveston, Texas in 1900. I’ve added some new verses of my own to contemporize it, and commingle them with the gathering storms yet to come that threaten the planet due to our relentless flatulence of greenhouse gases and resultant global warming.

4) TALKING LIFE (PROBLEM SOLVED) It may be simplistic, but it has seemed to me that if one steps back far enough to gain sufficient perspective, Evolution and Creation are but two divergent descriptions of the self-same event that continues to unfold before us. Must we continue to respond like the blind men and the elephant?

5) TWELVE GATES TO THE CITY As in ‘A Mighty Day,’ I’ve employed the “folk process”, lending new verses to a traditional song. My metaphorical intent is to underscore the notion that if one is to achieve anything, one must first envision the possibility.

6) LIVING ON BORROWED TIME I was in a somewhat less sanguine place when I wrote this. Here I see humanity at a crossroads, and wonder whether we’ll choose to affirm Life and continue moving forward (albeit “two steps forward, one step back”) along our evolutionary continuum.

7) THERE GOES THE MOUNTAIN I’ve been singing this powerful Tom Paxton ecological lament for a couple of decades and even recorded it for inclusion on an earlier project, only to have it miss the cut. But now this newer rendering fits perfectly among the other songs in this collection.

8) A WHALING TRILOGY: WHALING IS MY TRADE, THOUGHTS OF A WHALER'S WIFE and WHALE SOLILOQUY These interwoven songs evolved into a Rashomon-like epic trilogy over a 4-year period beginning in 1969, when I wrote ‘Thoughts of a Whaler’s Wife’ for a female folksinger friend. I’m delighted the work has finally found its place among my recorded songs.

9) THE SEEKER AND THE SIGN “These things and greater shall ye also do,” are words ascribed to our great teacher and wayshower, Jesus of Nazareth. Was it his intention for us to stop and worship the signpost, or to continue on to our ultimate destination?

10) WEALTH & CONSEQUENCES A whimsical imaginary meandering inspired by the daily news, bassist Ritt Henn says he thinks it’s a film. I’ll leave it to the Jung and the restless to attempt to interpret its meaning.

11) DURANTA GHURNIR This is a song I fell in love with when sung by a gathering of my in-laws upon my first visit to Calcutta in 2000. I’m joined here by their darling--and mine, Madhumita Chakrabartti. I was struck by the infectious intermingling of melody, words and rhythm by the renowned Bengali composer, Salil Chowdhury (pron. Sho-lil Cho-dhu-ree). Dedicated to my Kolkata family.

12) GRACE I first recorded ‘Grace’ with my 1980s singing partner, Ferne Bork, for our only album, ‘Light Up the Sky’ (1987). I’ve been enamored of Melissa Javors’ songwriting since we first met at the Kerrville Folk Festival in the late ‘70s. Once more, with feeling!

13) IF I HAD A HAMMER My rendering here of the oft-recorded ‘Hammer Song’ is a tribute to my two most influential mentors, Pete Seeger and Bob Gibson. You’ll hear Gibson especially in the ending. I hope you’ll hear Pete throughout. Love you, Pete! Words alone can’t express my gratitude.

--James Durst, June 2006

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