by Thaxton Lewis

Created on: January 13, 2009

When discussing the best of Native American Flute Music, one must discuss R. Carlos Nakai.

Nakai, whose ethereal and atmospheric tones and lush sounds, along with his incorporating electronic sounds, makes for wonderful and soothing listening.

Nakai's album, Canyon Trilogy, is a beautiful and complex album that resonates with the listener long after that initial encounter.

For first time listeners of this music I recommend experiencing the sounds on this album. If you are reticent there are plenty of websites that let you preview sound clips to give you an idea of the overall sound.

I would even go so far as to saying check out any of Nakai's work, it is very good and it also is a great introduction to this fine musical tradition.

Another artist who comes to mind when discussing this genre is Alice Gomez. Her album Flute Dreams(with Madalyn Blanchett and Marilyn Rife) is a wonderful exploration of this genre's sound and is considered by many fans of the Native American Flute to be one of the best.

The tempo and pace are wondrous, and like Nakai, the tone and atmosphere of the sounds have a yearning and beauty all their own.

Alice Gomez also has many other albums, and has been prolific in her output. Again, like Nakai, you can pick up any of her records and relax to their soothing and peaceful influence.

Robert Tree Cody is also a busy and talented flutist in the Native American tradition. He is also a very talented multi-instrumentalist.

His album, Heart of the Wind: Music for Native American Flute and Drums, is a great album that embodies the fullness and range of this genre's best.

Cody, like the aforementioned Nakai and Gomez, is wonderful artist in Native American Flute music, and this album is a really good representation of what he does and how well he does it.

However, like the other artists mentioned, you can pick up any of his albums and be satisfied. I just point the way to what I assessed as being the best representation of each artist and their work regarding the flute.

Mary Youngblood's Dance with the wind is another one the albums I consider the best of the Native American Flute music, and the last one I am mentioning.

I picked these albums because, though there are great compilation albums of this music, there are greater albums that reflect the depth of the genre, and these are all artists and representatives of the sound of the flute that demonstrate the wonder of this instrument's sound.

Youngblood's album is a delight, and akin to the other artists mentioned, is an album that can be enjoyed as a whole, and one that transports you to a place of peace and inner calm.

This album also shares another quality with the others I have mentioned. The quality I speak of is one where the music can be played while one meditates or does breathing exercises or tai chi.

These are the best artists an albums of Native American Flute music as far as I have heard, and they are wonderful sounds regardless of genre as well, just beautiful music for any open minded listener.

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