Voices
Douglas Spotted Eagle is a man of many talents: flautist, film score composer, producer, author, activist, and performer with the Voices of Native America Tour. As a young man, he abandoned his rock & roll dreams for family, returning to music by his mid-20's in the wake of his late marriage. Spotted Eagle picked up the flute of his boyhood, and shortly thereafter distinguished himself as the first recording artist to combine Native American flute with synthesizer. And here, on his 14th solo recording, during the making of which his teenage son died, Spotted Eagle has again channeled his considerable loss into a work unlike any other. More fiery than earlier recordings,Voicesis a blend of ethnic contemporary: jazzy horns and guitars, a dense undercurrent of meaty drum & bass beats, R&B-style; crooning, and traditional Diné vocals by friends and tribal elders. And at the center of it all soars Spotted Eagle's unmistakably flamboyant flute lines. A bit rich for some tastes,Voicesis a sonic journey of absorption.--Paige La Grone