So this morning I needed to do some writing at work so out came some Native American flute music. It came from an artist that I have never heard before Gary Stroutsos and his 2011 release Inside Tutka Bay and I am a fan! Additionally I have a lot of catching up to do because his career started with Native American music in 1994 when he moved from Washington to North Dakota and includes a gazillion albums!
Stroutsos started his musical career after being in awe of Ian Anderson of Jethro Tull while at Grand Valley State College in Allendale, Michigan. In 1979 he moved to Seattle and was playing and learning jazz, for there he moved onto Cuban jazz and played for the next 15 years. In 1994 his mother bought him his first Native American flute in a gift shop in Santa Fe from then on his connection to the music of Native American music and to Native American cultural in genera his grown and grown. He describes his initial encounter with the people on his website
When I played for the first time before an all Native American audience, one of the elders from the Salish tribe, Oshanee, broke down crying when I began playing my elk flute. I asked her what was wrong and she told me that “the music reminds me of days gone by and my relatives.” I wrote a song for her 80th birthday, “Song for Oshanee” in her honor and it was included in my second recording, “Winds of Honor”. When Johnny Arlee, spiritual elder from the Montana Salish tribe, told me “that I had a gift and had to start acting like a young elder with my music”.
and I guess like they say the rest is history! Here’s a video of some of his great music and some great commentary wit the songs!! I know I’m going to be listening to a lot more of his music. So et’s go Into the Night (and work at Target!) with the music of Gary Stroutsos!
