Face the Music

“The natural beauty of the flute evokes very powerful emotions. The traditional flute is social, not ceremonial, in nature and should always be treated with that in mind and spirit. My musical journey began when I was young. Drums were a regular part of our lives. In the summer were the war dances, now called powwows. As kids, we would imitate the drummers on my mother’s galvanized washtub. The very first time I heard the flute, I was a young boy living on the Northern Cheyenne Reservation located in Southeastern Montana. Grover Wolfvoice was the flute man playing this wonderful music. The music was beautiful to my ears, yet it scared me. There was much poverty and depression at that time. The sound of the flute touched my heart, where there was much pain and uncertainty. Through all of the hardships of reservation life, the beauty and wonder of our homeland beckoned to me.” -Joseph Fire Crow In 1992, Fire Crow recorded the album, The Mist. Two years later, in 1994, he released a second self-produced recording, Rising Bird. These recordings were sold only at concerts. In April of 1996, his self-titled release, Fire Crow, was one of the first recordings to be launched nationally on the Makoché label and is one of the label’s best sellers. Echodisc said in a review of Fire Crow, “Joseph Fire Crow is quite simply one of the most gifted players of the Native American flute, this is beautifully recorded.” Another reviewer described Fire Crow as a “national treasure.” Fire Crow’s follow-up, Cheyenne Nation, combined a soulful mixture of traditional flute and contemporary instrumentation to earn a GRAMMYTM nomination at the 43rd Annual Awards. In November of 2003, Fire Crow’s Legend of the Warrior received recognition for both the Native American Music Award for “Songwriter of the Year,” as well as the Indian Summer Music Awards flute category winner. Fire Crow’s collaborative effort with Jim Cockey lead to the composition of “Parmly’s Dream,” from the CD Signature. This release won FireCrow the “Best Instrumental Recording” Award at the 7th Annual Native American Music Awards. Fire Crow’s latest effort, Red Beads, was released in late August of 2005. Red Beads comes full circle with a return to the traditional. This recording includes Fire Crow’s mother, Elva Stands In Timber. Joseph was honored to have her join him. This release won FireCrow the “Flutist of the Year” Award at the 8th Annual Native American Music Awards. In 1995 Fire Crow’s songs, "Creator’s Prayer" and "Wind in My Mind" were selected to open and close the best selling album Tribal Winds: Music from Native American Flutes on the Earthbeat label. Ken Burns also chose some of Fire Crow's music to be included on the soundtrack for his documentary "Lewis and Clark: The Journey of the Corps of Discovery.” In addition, Fire Crow is a major contributor to several European releases, including Shaman, Circles of Life and Medicine Power on the German label, Sattva. Most recently, Fire Crow’s music was featured on Public Broadcasting Service’s The War that Made America film. Fire Crow was also a guest artist on Peter Kater’s 2007 album, Faces of the Sun, which earned a GRAMMY nomination for Best New Age Music Album at the 50th Annual Awards. Awards: Nominee Best Native American Music Album, 43rd Annual GRAMMY TM Awards (Cheyenne Nation) Artist of the Year, NAMMY Awards 2001 (Cheyenne Nation) Flutist of the Year, NAMMY Awards 2001 (Cheyenne Nation) Best Male Artist, NAMMY Awards 2003 (Legend of the Warrior) Flutist of the Year, NAMMY Awards 2003 (Legend of the Warrior) Best Male Artist 2006 (Red Beads) Winner Telly Award, Elfie’s Eye, 1999/ /Creator’s Prayer (Fire Crow) Best of Short Takes 2000, Today’s Librarian (Cheyenne Nation) 2003 NAMA Songwriter of the Year (Legend of the Warrior) Flutist of the Year, Indian Summer Music Awards 2004 (Legend of the Warrior) 2005 NAMA Best Instrumental Recording/Parmly’s Dream 2005 (Signature) Flutist of the Year 2006 (Red Beads)