Big Medicine
's liner notes describe
R. Carlos Nakai Quartet
's first album as "a new
jazz
expression haunted by the experience of native America." It's an excellent description. Whether you call it
jazz fusion
or
new age
, it undeniably strikes a new chord in the spectrum of
Native American
music. Drawing upon diverse influences, such as
Ornette Coleman
and
Sun Ra
, rich melodies and energetic performances are played upon a large assortment of both traditional and non-traditional
instruments.
R. Carlos Nakai
AmoChip Dabney
combine for a lush duo on
flutes and saxophones, respectively.
Jazz
singer
Mary Redhouse
, of
the Redhouse Family
, lends her electric bass playing and "eco-spiritual vocalizations." Longtime
Nakai
collaborator and drummer
Will Clipman
keeps the pulse for the quartet with dynamic percussive soundscapes using drums such as congas, djembe, udu, and hoop drum.
music,
rock
, and
rarely sound as good together as they do on songs like
"Prairie Smoke,"
"Crow Canyon,"
"Mitakuye Cyasin."
The
teamed up again in 2000 for the slightly different
Ancient Future
album. ~ Jeff Schwachter