Flute Shine By Jan Michael Looking Wolf

 

Flute Shine

By

Jan Michael Looking Wolf

Written by

Steve Sheppard

 

Organic, fluent and deeply moving, these three words sum up for me the flute experience I have just travelled, with one of the finest exponents of this genre in Jan Michael Looking Wolf and his new EP Flute Shine.

From the very first song, which of course is rightly the title track, we are gifted a musical presentation that will truly create an atmosphere of gratitude and appreciation around you, as Flute Shine the composition, is simplicity and talent, hand in hand.

Jan Michael is a man I deeply respect; his work in this life time has been vast and has touched many along the way, on songs like One Heart Honor Song, we are taken back into a realm of reverence and veneration of a life well led and an open heart. The opening soft and gentle chant was simply delicious, and took me back to my days in the US, and the various Pow Wows I attended, whilst that, oh so incredible flute of the artist, draws a musical narrative so soothing, honest and true, for the longest piece off the release.

Honeybee brings us a jolly piece, a shaker and flute dance like the wings of the bee on a warm summer’s day; bee is a wonderful spiritual totem as well, emphasising the energies of vitality health and prosperity, and on this really warm offering, the artist emphasises all three of those and more, in a piece that is as sweet as the honey that the Bee provides.

One of my favourite creatures in the bird world is the subject matter of the penultimate track off the EP and called Hummingbird’s Love. Here the flutist creates the very actions of the creature with the flute, I have seen this wondrous bird only a few times, and it is a marvel to observe, and Jan Michael’s expression of the beauty of this creature through his performance is doubly so.

Our last arrangement is entitled Flicker Dance, now this has to be one of the most exciting and rhythmic conclusions to any flute album I have heard for some time, the combination of native drum, shaker and flute are combined perfectly, to not only manifest a wonderful vibrant dance, but also a sublime end to this fantastic release.

Flute Shine by Jan Michael Looking Wolf is a reminder to us all to embrace life with gratitude, respect and love, this is a natural work of heart felt and honest good music, its organic and native roots shine life into the performances on flute, from an artist who always brings his A game to each and every project taken.