Sacred Clay by Gary Stroutsos, Will Clipman

Gary's music comes from the heart, his travels, and friendships made along the way.

Gary's work was showcased in the Ken Burns PBS documentary “Lewis and Clark: Journey of the Corps of Discovery” which led to a command performance at the White House for President Bill Clinton in 1997. Gary's music has also been featured on the PRI syndicated program “Echoes”, NPR's “Evening at the Pops”, and KUOW's “The Beat” and “Hearts of Space”.

Gary has recorded and produced over 12 sound recordings, many receiving national acclaim for being benchmark recordings of American Indian based music. Two of Gary’s recordings, Hidden World on Narada records, and Pacific Moon on Paras records, were Billboard's Critic’s Choice. His three Makoche recordings The Elders Speak, Winds of Honor, and People of the Willows highlight Gary’s unique connection with the American Indian people and their traditions, and his ability to compose American Indian traditional flute music. Gary’s CD Echoes of Canyon de Chelly was recorded in the echo chamber of the canyon itself, bringing to life ancestral spirits through traditional American Indian songs. This CD was recorded with American Indian flutes that were made by his good friend, Paul Thompson, who is also an outstanding musician and craftsman of Navajo flutes. Gary has expanded his world music reach through the CD Oru -The Natural Order which was an exploration of mystical Nigerian religious chants. Collectively, Gary’s music demonstrates his unique and innovative flute voice, and his commitment to share world music that honors the divine in nature.

Although Gary does most of his composing alone, usually "outside, with the wind", he loves to study and collaborate with many of today's important musical influences. His work with American Indian flute maker and player, Paul Thompson, has been particularly rewarding. Prior to recording Sacred Clay, Gary’s previous release, Quiet Fire, marked the first meeting of 3 remarkable artists: Gary Stroutsos, William Eaton and Will Clipman, each distinguished for their role in shaping contemporary World Music.

To Gary, “Music creates unity among peoples and touches our souls. Music is a universal means of communication. In my performances I want the listener to hear the land, or a river move through them.”

Will Clipman

A drummer since the age of three, Will has mastered a pan-global panoply of percussion in addition to the traditional drumset. In a career that has spanned nearly every known musical genre, Will has recorded over fifty albums, including twenty-one for Canyon Records, where he is regarded as the house percussionist. In addition to Sacred Clay, Will currently performs and records with The R. Carlos Nakai Quartet, The William Eaton Ensemble, The Wilde Boys (Nakai, Eaton & Clipman), Gentle Thunder, Ananeah, Quiet Fire, Great Mystery, and The Conrads. Will’s music has been honored with two GRAMMY Nominations for Best New Age Album; two NAMA Awards for Best Instrumental Album and Best World Music Album; an ISMA Nomination for Best Contemporary Instrumental Album; and a TAMMIE Award for Best Drummer.

Average Customer Review: