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| Red Feather Woman and Arvel Bird: CD Release Concerts Red Feather Woman and Arvel Bird, both recipients of "Nammys" at the Eighth Annual Native American Music Awards, will perform a series of CD Release concerts in Colorado to celebrate Native American Heritage Month. Confirmed dates include Nov. 11 at Boulder Unity Church in Boulder and Nov. 12 at Cheyenne Mountain Resort in Colorado Springs. A portion of proceeds from the concerts will benefit the Denver Indian Family Resource Center, an organization that helps strengthen vulnerable American Indian children and families through collaborative and culturally responsive services. By blending contemporary music with traditional storytelling, Red Feather Woman was recognized at the 2006 Native American Awards for Best Spoken Word, while Arvel Bird took home honors for Best Instrumental. "It is an honor to join Arvel Bird and celebrate the month of November as Native American Heritage Month with the strong community we have in Colorado", said Red Feather Woman. "The continued mainstream interest in Native American arts has led to a new generation of music and oral storytelling that reaches far beyond the stereotype of pow wows and drum circles. Arvel is a great example, as his violin playing has been featured with stars like Glen Campbell, Tom T. Hall, Ray Price and Loretta Lynn, and his abilities are recognized across musical genres as some of the best in the business." Red Feather Woman's new CD title "Distant Drums" is a very special combination of the past and present, blending traditional stories, Native instruments and traditional musical themes with contemporary folk and rock sounds. Her "The Keepers of the Earth" CD featured four Native American traditional stories and four original songs inspired by these ancient tales. Both CDs were recorded and produced by internationally known producer-solo artist Doug Haywood. Haywood, a former member of Jackson Browne's band (1972-1992), and has worked with many pop music giants, including Linda Ronstadt and Bobbie Gentry. Shake Magazine's review states, "Calling on the traditional pow wow drum to provide the collective heartbeat, this beautiful world beat CD blends tribal rhythms from Native America to contemporary beats of Latin and reggae featuring brilliantly conceived and performed melodies on violin, native flute, guitars and keyboards." Arvel is a classically trained musician who attended Arizona State University on a music scholarship and later transferred to University of Illinois-Champaign/ Urbana. He is the recipient of the 2006 Best Instrumental Recording for the Native American Music Awards and the Best Contemporary Instrumental for the Indian Summer Music Awards. For 11 years Arvel enjoyed touring with Glen Campbell, Clay Walker, Louise Mandrell, Tom T. Hall, Ray Price, and Loretta Lynn and others. Now as a solo artist, Arvel is one of the most in-demand entertainers who tours internationally for concerts at Native American events, fairs, festivals, conventions, trade shows and more. His eclectic experience -- classical, Celtic, New Age, country, bluegrass, Cajun, blues, jazz, western swing and Native American -- makes him a truly versatile and interesting player. Internationally acclaimed and an independent artist, Red Feather Woman is one of the leading Native American storytellers, singers, songwriters and authors. She was born on the Fort Peck Reservation in Poplar, Montana, and is an enrolled member of the Sioux/Assiniboine tribes. Red Feather Woman has captivated audiences for more than 20 years, singing and telling traditional stories to children and adults of all ages. Dedicated to keeping the Native American culture alive, her audiences include schools, churches, corporations, museums, theaters, music festivals and universities throughout the United States and Europe. CDs can be ordered at: www.redfeatherwoman.com, as can the Nammy winning CD, "The Keepers of the Earth." write your comments about the article :: © 2006 Jazz News :: home page |