Gentle Thunder - GRAMMY NOMINATED ARTIST
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Gentle Thunder - GRAMMY NOMINATED ARTIST

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"Gentle Thunder - The Wall Street Journal"

"...Gentle Thunder's music is direct and organic." Feb. 2006 - The Wall Street Journal's Jim Fusilli


"Gentle Thunder as a producer"

“Of course, when I read the liner notes and saw that the CD (Ann Licater- Following the Call) was co-produced by the extremely talented multi-instrumentalist (and fellow Native-influenced flutist) Gentle Thunder, I wasn’t the least bit surprised. GT, as she is known, is the consummate musical perfectionist (as well as being a passionate and spiritual person) so her sonic fingerprints were easy to hear… if you enjoy Native-influenced flute music, you should consider this a must-have release.” - Bill Binkelman - New Age Reporter


"Opening the Gate/ Gentle Thunder"

“This artist is dear to my heart, my little daughter of the Universe. She has her footing solidly planted in a reverence for Mother Earth, combined with REAL talent on several instruments. Her collaboration with major Native American & jazz musicians plus nominations for important music awards, puts her in the forefront of other contemporary artists. Open your heart to her creativity & let the warmth sink in. It’ll carry you thru many a cold night by the campfire.”
- Captain Christopher, WTUL Radio Music Director


"Gentle Thunder Beyond Words Review"

Beyond Words by Gentle Thunder with Will Clipman and AmoChip Dabney

"Gentle Thunder’s opening grand hammer dulcimer immediately grabs your attention and calls you home to your heart, to your center, to a welcomed place within. From there, this recording takes one dynamic twist after another. Beyond Words is full of enthusiasm, spontaneity, and sheer talent.

Nominated for a Grammy for the best New Age recording in 2006, Beyond Words goes beyond genres. It also goes beyond convention by gaining a Grammy nomination for an artist-produced recording. Such recognition is rare for products not connected to a major label. But when you hear Beyond Words, you understand why it has gained this kind of attention.

The recording is fresh and creative, yet resonant with traditional and timelessly fundamental sounds. Gentle Thunder plays Native American flute and drums along with the dulcimer. Will Clipman adds the Taos and hoop drum. AmoChip Dabney contributes soprano sax, bass, and keyboard. It feels jazzy. It also has a specific Southwest Native American flavor. It is certainly rooted in North America. And it is unique. It is inspired. Whatever energy moved these three artists to create this recording only a week after first meeting is palpable in the result. And whatever it is isn’t easily described—it is 'beyond words'."
- Bette Timm - Aura Magazine


"Beyond Words Review - JPR"

"Beyond Words beautifully transcends genre as well as words. Gentle Thunder’s mix of hammer dulcimer and Native American flute merges symbiotically with the exceptional rhythms and melodies of Grammy-nominated multi-instrumentalists Will Clipman and AmoChip Dabney. Together, they create a gorgeous musical journey that’s a sharing of deep spirit more than a mere performance. Peaceful, uplifting and unique.”

--Eric Alan, Music Director, Jefferson Public Radio
- Eric Alan- Music Director, Jefferson Public Radio


"Beyond Words CD Review"

"The “simpatico” playing of these three artists is a testament to how aligned they were as musicians during the one week of recording which netted this solid and enjoyable album. This is a special album, celebrating the ability of music to unite us as one people, whether it be to dance, laugh, reflect or cry. It bears repeating that I highly recommend this CD to all acoustic music lovers.”

-- Bill Binkelman – Wind and Wire/ New Age Reporter - Bill Binkelman - Wind & Wire / New Age Reporter


"Beyond Words Review - Record Searchlight"


“Hopeful, warm, tones. Spontaneous directions of sound that seem divinely guided. Wide open spaces. These themes define the new-age music release "Beyond Words" by Gentle Thunder, AmoChip Dabney and Will Clipman.

The word "magic" must also be thrown into the kettle. Reading the liner
notes, one learns that much of the recording was done in single takes with little
overdubbing. A natural musical chemistry that exists between Gentle Thunder and Dabney makes that possible.

It's as if the two have been playing together for decades. They haven't. They all three met at a 2005 Native American flute festival in Helena, Mont., where Dabney blended his sax with Gentle Thunder's dulcimer from backstage during her set. It was one of those celestial moments, a serendipitous encounter in life.

With Clipman tastefully blending in his rhythms on a variety of drums, the album
essentially celebrates the original encounter between Gentle Thunder and Dabney.

There are a number of gems among the 14-song recording. My favorite is the majestic "Walk in Beauty," where dulcimer and piano walk along a pleasant path together. It's like two old friends strolling through a gorgeous Montana meadow. They take time to pause, breath, smile and admire the wildflowers and gaze at the mountains beyond.”


-- Jim Dyar – Record Searchlight
- Jim Dyar - Record Searchlight


"Beyond Words Review INAFA"

“Gentle Thunder’s flute playing demonstrates her skills as a professional musician and makes her one of the top flute performers of today. I find BEYOND WORDS to be Will and Amo’s best performance to date. The instruments in these songs work well to create a sense of something bigger than life. Each song on the CD stands as a work of art, each has its own mood and rhythm, each demonstrates the wide range of musical talents that these three musicians have developed over their lifetime…skills that have merged together to create an ensemble recording that is beyond words.”

-- John Sarantos - International Native American Flute Association

- John Sarantos - International Native American Flute Assoc.


"Full review - Wind & Wire"

GENTLE THUNDER (with Will Clipman and AmoChip Dabney)
Beyond Words
Delvian Records (2006)

Multi-instrumentalist Gentle Thunder (Native American flute, grand hammer dulcimer, drum set) is joined by two members of the R. Carlos Nakai Quartet (Will Clipman on assorted ethnic drums and percussion and AmoChip Dabney on piano/keyboards, bass and soprano sax) on this enjoyable world fusion recording which varies from “kick up your heels” tunes to sedate and haunting tone poems. The trio’s music reminded me of two other ensembles, the new age jazz fusion group Shadowfax, albeit with less of an electronic sound (Shadowfax featured lots of synths and electric guitar) or the ground-breaking jazz/world fusion band Oregon, fronted by Paul Winter (or its earlier incarnation, The Winter Consort). Beyond Words shares these two groups’ characteristic broad variety of tempos and moods, as well their same “global citizen jazz” approach to instrumentation and flavor. However, the presence of Native American flute, whether solo (as on “Feathered Pipe Portal”) or in an ensemble (e.g. on “Glacier Tears” where it is paired with piano) takes this CD’s music in different directions than either of the two comparisons I mentioned above.

The CD was an extemporaneous occurrence, propelled by Gentle Thunder’s unexpected on-stage jamming with Dabney when she opened for the Nakai Quartet for one of their dates. The “simpatico” playing of these three artists is a testament to how aligned they were as musicians during the one week of recording which netted this solid and enjoyable album.

Gentle Thunder switches between her two main instruments throughout the album, opening with some rousing hammer dulcimer on “Big Sky Sunrise,” playing against Dabney’s soulful sax and Clipman’s always excellent hand drums and percussion. I personally enjoy the more rhythmic and cheerful tunes on Beyond Words, which I would describe as “driving up north” music which evokes images of pine forests, running brooks, birds in flight, and two-lane blacktops weaving up and down gently rolling hills. These upbeat numbers include the jaunty funk of the title track, the jazz-inflected “Karma Groove,” and the warm friendliness of “Summer Solstice.” Low-key tracks are exemplied by the somber and sad flute/piano duet “Pathfinders,” the gentle flute/dulcimer cut “Woven Essence,” and the rhythmic but dark (unlike its title) “Luminosity.”

This is a special album, celebrating the ability of music to unite us as one people, whether it to be to dance, laugh, reflect or cry. It bears repeating that I highly recommend this CD to all acoustic music lovers.

Bill Binkelman
Producer and Host
Wind and Wire
KFAI-FM
Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota - Bill Binkelman


"Full review - INAFA"

Title: Beyond Words
Artist: Gentle Thunder (Native American Flute, Grand Hammer Dulcimer,
Drum set tracks 1 & 7)
Will Clipman (Udu, Djembe, Taos drums, Drum set, Hoop Drum)
AmoChip Dabney (Piano, Keyboards, Bass, Soprano sax)
Special guest: Lumin (Strings on track 6)

Recorded in Tucson at: Completely Bare Studios and also Allusion Studios
Mixed & Mastered by Lumin at Transformations - Kelowna, B.C.
Special Support by: Pogo
Number of Tracks: 14
Time: 61:34
Distribution: Delvian Records www.delvianrecords.com


For more information and purchase CD: www.1GentleThunder.com
www.AmoChip.com
www.WillClipman.com

It is exciting to hear some of the original new music styles that are being created these days that incorporate the Native American Flute. Music that has not found a peg to fit into, but is a melting pot, a potpourri of many styles. BEYOND WORDS by Gentle Thunder, Will Clipman and AmoChip Dabney is one such recording. If I had to choose one word to describe BEYOND WORDS, it would be "fun". Others words to follow fun would be uplifting, joyful, light-hearted, peaceful, cheerful, relaxing, and totally enjoyable. It is a great recording to listen to while driving in a forest, along an ocean, through a desert, high in the mountains, relaxing at home, or when stuck in traffic wishing one were in a forest, along an ocean, through a desert, high in the mountains, or just relaxing.

As I was listening to the first song, "Big Sky Sunrise", I found myself grooving in my chair. While playing some other songs I found myself humming to the melodic melodies. I have listened to BEYOND WORDS several times, and each time I feel uplifted, and motivated to get up and do something or create something.

Gentle Thunder states that the trio first met at the Renaissance of the Native American Flute workshop in Montana in the summer of 2005 where the three of them had an opportunity to jam together throughout the week. They discovered that they were in harmony together and decided to co-create the songs that turned out to be the CD of BEYOND WORDS.
I am happy to say that, this harmony is very evident in the final results of the CD. The ensemble playing is by far some of the best that I have had the enjoyment to hear. Gentle Thunder, Will, and Amo have created a very unique and distinct sound.
OVER-

The Grand Hammer Dulcimer is not my favorite instrument in the world, however, the way Gentle Thunder masterfully makes it sing, makes it a joy to listen to it. Her flute playing demonstrates her skills as a professional musician and makes her one of the top flute performers of today. She performs on Scott Loomis and Ken Light flutes. The tones and textures she gets out of Ken Light's flute demonstrate why I believe his flutes are the Stradivarius of the flute world for those skilled musicians who, like Gentle Thunder, know how to perform with them. She makes the sound of embellishments flow effortlessly out of her flutes. She colors the songs with the dynamics of a master. She plays with confidence and compassion. She has discovered the many textures her flutes offer and uses them passionately throughout the recordings. She creates a wide variety of emotions with her flutes as they inter-mix with Will's percussion and Amo's sax, piano, and keyboards.

I saw Gentle Thunder perform the song "Woven Essence" live last summer when she opened for the R. Carlos Nakai Jazz Quartet in Helena, Montana. I was impressed that she was able to weave both the flute and the hammer dulcimer together at the same time. It sounds just as wonderful on the CD. She also makes good use of her rock-n-roll roots on this recording by playing drums on "Big Sky Sunrise" and "Karma Groove" along with her hammer dulcimer on both songs and also the flute on "Karma Groove".

In songs like, Luminosity, Big Sky Sunrise, and Rooted Breath the trio seem to be having conversations through their instruments, creating very magical, musical dialogues. The songs "Beyond Words", "Heartland" and "Summer Solstice", make me reflect back on the grandness of Montana. The instruments in these songs work well to create a sense of something bigger than life. Guest artist Lumin appears on "Glacier Tears". I can hear Lumin's strings and Gentle Thunder's flute crying as they intertwine with Amo's piano playing.

I have seen Amo and Will in several live concerts over the last ten years, and I have heard many of the CDs on which they have performed. They both exhibit years of experience as musicians performing with a wide variety of performers. I find BEYOND WORDS to be their best performance to date. Will gets such a variety of rhythms, sounds, textures, and feelings out of his drums, especially the Udu, and Amo's sax has a smooth-as-butter soulful sound, while his keyboarding and piano playing distinguish him as a very innovated, sensitive, and playful recording artist. What a wond - John Sarantos


Discography

All CDs listed below have major distrubution channels available worldwide brick and mortar and online, on iTunes, getting airplay and charting in top 100 N.A.R. and have more song samples available at: http://www.GentleThunder.com

Gentle Thunder - "Awakening Remembrance" ©1998 (solo hammer dulcimer)
Gentle Thunder - "Winds of the Heart" ©2004 (solo Native American flute)
Gentle Thunder w/ Will Clipman & AmoChip Dabney - "Beyond Words" ©2006 **2006 GRAMMY NOMINEE - BEST NEW AGE ALBUM
Gentle Thunder - "Opening the Gate" ©2007 (solo hammer dulcimer, Native American flutes & a taste of percussion)

A promotional DVD is available upon request...

Contact Gentle Thunder: GT@GentleThunder.com

Photos

Bio

With this brand new solo release entitled “Opening the Gate”, GRAMMY® nominated artist Gentle Thunder steps out with her fourth album that eloquently weaves all of her musical voices together, showcases her versatility and celebrates the path of a woman blazing her own trail in the world of music. It exemplifies the power of nuance and subtlety at it’s finest. The Wall Street Journal’s Jim Fusilli called her music “direct and organic”.

“Opening the Gate” is a timeless recording that brings the listener closest to the experience of one of Gentle Thunder's live solo events. A present time capturing of her essence, both musically and energetically, it was pristinely recorded, mixed and mastered by Brian Todd at Rough Giraffe Studio in the Santa Cruz Mountains. The graphic wizardry was created by Shimmering Wolf at Shimmering Wolf Studios, inside drawing by Jeremiah Conte and photography of Gentle Thunder by Art Durand at Art Durand Photography. Bette Timm, Aura Magazine writes: “Gentle Thunder’s opening grand hammer dulcimer immediately grabs your attention and calls you home to your heart, to your center, to a welcomed place within.”

Gentle Thunder is a multi-instrumentalist (grand hammer dulcimer, drums and Native American flutes), composer, producer, visionary and voting member of The Recording Academy whose musical journey began at age thirteen in the Seattle area as a rock-n-roll drummer. Largely a self-taught artist she began playing professionally while still in high school. In 1990 her recording career took her to Memphis, TN for two years where she became captivated by the hammer dulcimer and the portion of her maternal ancestry that is Native American (Cree). It was in connecting with her ancient roots that she remembered her interconnectedness to all life and began to consciously walk the beauty way. She let go of her familiar path as a rock-n-roll drummer and moved to Mt. Shasta, CA where the “voice” of her spirit expanded … performing with Shasta Taiko (Japanese drumming), playing hammer dulcimer, piano, ceremonial drumming and Native American flutes.

After many years of holding the groove for other artists, she branched out as a solo artist in 1994. Live and on recording, Gentle Thunder enchants audiences around the world with her distinctive sound and heart-filled presence. Both previous solo CDs “Awakening Remembrance” (hammer dulcimer) and “Winds of the Heart” (solo Native American flute) charted in the Top 100 New Age Reporter. Her third release, “Beyond Words with Will Clipman & AmoChip Dabney”, is a refreshing collaboration with these two multi-GRAMMY® nominated artist kindred spirits and showcases her exceptional full spectrum musicality on multiple instruments. Beyond Words was engineered by AmoChip Dabney at Completly Bare Studios and Jim Pavett at Allusion Studios in Tucson, AZ. The album was mixed and mastered by Lumin White at Transformations located in Novato, CA.

Since its debut, “Beyond Words” spent 2006 in the Top 100 New Age Reporter charts, charted #27 overall for the year, was 2006 GRAMMY® nominee for Best New Age Album, nominated Best Native American album New Age Reporter Awards, nominated for Best Contemporary Instrumental Album at the 2006 Indian Summer Music Awards and recognized as one of Bill Binkelman’s top picks for 2006.

In 2007 Gentle Thunder has branched out with GT Productions to produce up-and-coming new artists. Gentle Thunder co-produced Ann Licater’s solo flute CD, “Following the Call”, recorded, mixed, mastered with Brian Todd at Rough Giraffe Studio, was #1 Bestseller at East West Bookstore and featured on NPR’s “Hearts of Space”. Bill Binkelman, New Age Reporter writes, “Of course, when I read the liner notes and saw that the CD was co-produced by the extremely talented multi-instrumentalist (and fellow Native-influenced flutist) Gentle Thunder, I wasn’t the least bit surprised. GT, as she is known, is the consummate musical perfectionist (as well as being a passionate and spiritual person) so her sonic fingerprints were easy to hear… if you enjoy Native-influenced flute music, you should consider this a must-have release.”

Gentle Thunder responded to a request from singer/songwriter Mariee Sioux to play Native American flute on her debut album “Faces in the Rocks”, and stepped forward to bring her artistry, ceremony and mentorship to this talented young artist. Mariee’s unique album was clearly and powerfully supported by the Great Mystery. It co-produced by Gentle Thunder and Dana Gumbiner who also engineered, mixed and mastered the album at his Station to Station Studio in Grass Valley, CA for the Grass Roots Record label. The Sacramento News and Review said:"’Faces in the Rocks’ features eight songs that meld together the best of the folk-pop tradition with a contemporary vibe, tempered with traditional American Indian instruments and spirituality."

The fourth and final recording session of this year for GT was a duo album with