R. Carlos Nakai deserves to be named as one of the fathers of Native American flute music. Not because he was one of the first cedar flutists - actually, far from it. The reason is that he is one of the first performers to bring the instrument to a wide, mainstream audience and make it relevant in a world where traditional folk music is often lost in the shuffle. Over the last two decades, Nakai has released close to two dozen recordings, many of which have frequently jumped back and forth over the border between traditional technique and modern fusion. IN BEAUTY WE RETURN, Nakai's first greatest hits album, presents examples of each. The album starts slow with solo flute pieces, moves on to collaborative efforts with other artists and tunes from his jazz quartet and finishes with a trio of orchestrated works.
1. Shaman's Call (from Earth Spirit) 2:57
2. Whippoorwill (from Cahnges) 3:04
3. Song for the Morning Star (from Canyon Trilogy) 4:16
4. Red Streaking into Water (from Emergence) 3:44
5. Carry the Gift (from Carry the Gift) 6:07
6. Eye of the Wind (from Inside Monument Valley) 3:40
7. Kamui (From Island Of Bow) 3:43
8. Feather, Stone & Light (from Feather, Stone & Light) 4:17
9. Crow Canyon (from Big Medicine) 5:39
10. My Wild Heart Sings (from In a Distant Place) 7:56
11. Lake that Speaks (from Two World Concerto) 7:36
12. Whippoorwill (from Fourth World) 3:25
13. Amazing Grace (from Inner Voices)
R. Carlos Nakai deserves to be named as one of the fathers of Native American flute music. Not because he was one of the first cedar flutists - actually, far from it. The reason is that he is one of the first performers to bring the instrument to a wide, mainstream audience and make it relevant in a world where traditional folk music is often lost in the shuffle. Over the last two decades, Nakai has released close to two dozen recordings, many of which have frequently jumped back and forth over the border between traditional technique and modern fusion. IN BEAUTY WE RETURN, Nakai's first greatest hits album, presents examples of each. The album starts slow with solo flute pieces, moves on to collaborative efforts with other artists and tunes from his jazz quartet and finishes with a trio of orchestrated works.
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