Nakai's first recording of Native flute music, originally released in a limited edition of 250 cassettes, taps into something deeply spiritual in the human psyche. There are traditional Native songs from the Zuni, Lakota, and Blood tribes, but most of the material is original, inspired by Nakai's travels throughout the Southwest. The tone of Nakai's flute is always full and warm; it caresses your ears like the memory of a summer breeze. Yet despite the measured tempos and the pastoral mood, there is an energetic quality to the improvisations that makes the heart want to spread its wings and take flight. Nakai's success shows once again how powerful simple, folk-based melodies can be when they're played by a master musician. --j. poet
