Ruby Freedman, Milarepa

Posted on | January 28, 2007 | No Comments

by Brian Nation

In May of last year, during a break at the Cellar Jazz Club where his trio was playing that night, saxophonist Bruce Freedman played some music for me that he happened to have with him on his iPod – a recording of his seven-year-old daughter, Ruby, singing a Buddhist song which I later learned was composed by Robyn Traill. I loved it and asked Bruce if I could have a copy.

Bruce has put together a delightful little home-made CD of the song I heard, Milarepa, along with five other tracks of Ruby singing and playing piano.

Listen to Milarepa:

Song composed and recording engineered by Robyn Traill. Arranged by Bruce Freedman and Robyn Traill. Saxophone, Bruce Freedman. Cover drawing by Ruby Freedman. Jetsun Milarepa, 1052-1135 (approx), was one of Tibet’s most famous yogis and poets, a student of Marpa Lotsawa, and a major figure in the history of the Kagyu school of Tibetan Buddhism.