Title: Dancing Toward the Light
Artist: Palidofsky, Jesse
Label: CD Baby
Product Type: COMPACT DISCS
UPC: 611781140122
Genre: Folk

Azalea City Recordings artist Jesse has performed his original songs at the Washington Folk Festival, at the National Theatre and on the sloop Clearwater with Pete Seeger. Jesse's music has received radio airplay on public radio stations throughout the U.S., and in Germany. He has founded successful roots music concert series in his native Detroit and in Washington, D.C. From the initial bars of spritely Appalachian fiddling on "Lay Down Your Heavy Burden", all the way through to "The Parting Song" which closes things out, DANCING TOWARD THE LIGHT weaves a rich musical tapestry suffused with vibrant musical colors, catchy choruses and a quirky sense of good humor. And yet, the stories behind these tuneful story-songs take us into some of the bleakest corners of human existence. Through his song 'Wondrous Day', we sit inside the bars of a women's penitentiary at a weekend retreat for women "lifers", a number of whom have been convicted of murder. In 'Water the Seeds of Joy' we hear the sage advice of a spiritual guide to a man whose brother has committed suicide, leaving behind two small children. We rejoice with an impassioned singer for social justice who, a mere few hours from dying of a congenital disease, miraculously receives a new liver on "Glad You Made It Through the Fire". A pervading theme of finding the light in the darkest corners of life emerges, which ties together the eclectic musical strands in an unexpected and deeply satisfying way. The overall upbeat and optimistic tone is that much more resonant, when we know the "story behind the story". "Jesse is an inspired tunesmith who never falls back on "tried and true" gimmicks. I was thoroughly engrossed from the first cut until the end!" Bluesman James "Sparky" Rucker With a deep understanding of the amazing power of music for healing, for many years Jesse has employed his gifts far away from the spotlights--singing in prisons and in hospitals and offering music for hospice patients. As a long-time staff artist with Arts For The Aging and now under his own auspices, Jesse has shared music with thousands of people with dementia and cognitive dysfunction. Jesse leads Music and Healing workshops at multi-cultural arts and music workshops like Common Ground on the Hill, and at national conferences for organizations like the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization and the Association of Professional Chaplains. "Jesse's music is quite wonderful!" Parker Palmer, Author, A Hidden Wholeness "Jesse's blues brought the crowd to it's feet!" (at Asheville's Be Here Now) Robert Caldwell, Performing Songwriter Magazine.

Tracks:
1.1 Lay Down Your Heavy Burden
1.2 Dancing Toward the Light (Solstice Song)
1.3 Glad You Made It Through the Fire
1.4 Hallelu
1.5 What It's All About
1.6 Water the Seeds of Joy
1.7 Wondrous Day
1.8 Shaina
1.9 Time to Shed the Old Skin
1.10 Lift Me Up
1.11 We Remember You
1.12 Parting Song