CHRIS FERREE - Vocals - Flutes - Guitar - Bass - Percussion - Keyboard ------------------------------------------------------
BRAD HORD - Keyboard - Drums - Percussion - Guitar - Violin - Didge ------------------------------------------------------------------
"Words cannot express the beauty of "Overflow"! All of the tracks are lovely and most relaxing.The music resonates at a very high level. I especially enjoy "Dance of the Blue Blanket;" it's as if the story unfolds as a natural visualization in the listener's mind." - Sharon Stellmach of Starfire Radio
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DOWNLOAD SITES
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"Chris is truly a master musician combing various instruments, rhythms and voice to accompany the traditional flute to create a uniquely beautiful collection of songs. The passion for his Cherokee heritage is deeply imbedded in each song, and that passion combined with his innate talent, makes for a powerful and thrilling listening experience. Whenever I listen to Chris’ music, the richness and clarity of the notes and those luscious melodies emanating from his flute take me on a journey—to a place and time of beauty, peace and harmony. A great escape from every day stress and hustle." - Barbara Shining Woman Warren - Cherokee Storyteller
Influences
Robert Mirabal - Peter Gabriel - U2 - Dead Can Dance - Fleetwood Mac - Bill Miller - Stanley Clarke - Johnny Cash - The Beatles - Alanis Morrsette - Thin Lizzy - Kate Bush - Robbie Robertson - Sting - Collective Soul - Kansas - Tommy James - Creed - Neil Young - Sinead O'Conner - Live - The Who - Lenny Kravitz - Steely Dan - Natalie Merchant - David Bowie - The Marshall Tucker Band - Bryan Ferry - Leonard Jones - Sarah Mclachlan - The Cure - Hothouse Flowers - Annie Lennox - Rush - Mary Youngblood - Jethro Tull - Eric Clapton - Alison Krauss - Pink Floyd
Sounds Like
-----------Two Wolves
-----------One evening a Cherokee elder told his grandson about a great
battle that goes on inside people.
He said,"My son" the battle is between two
"Wolves" that live inside us all. One is Evil. It is anger, envy, jealousy, sorrow, regret,
greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false
pride, superiority, and ego.
The other is Good. It is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility,
kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion and faith.
The grandson thought about it for a minute then asked his grandfather:
"Which wolf wins?"
The old Cherokee looked him in the eye and replied,"The one you feed."------------------------------------------------
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Native American Prayer---
Oh, Great Spirit
Whose voice I hear in the winds,
And whose breath gives life to all the world,
hear me, I am small and weak,
I need your strength and wisdom.
Let me walk in beauty and make my eyes ever behold
the red and purple sunset.
Make my hands respect the things you have
made and my ears sharp to hear your voice.
Make me wise so that I may understand the things
you have taught my people.
Let me learn the lessons you have
hidden in every leaf and rock.
I seek strength, not to be greater than my brother,
but to fight my greatest enemy - myself.
Make me always ready to come to you
with clean hands and straight eyes.
So when life fades, as the fading sunset,
my Spirit may come to you without shame.--------------------------------------------------------Wisdom from Little Hawk---
Click the Links Below to Preview and Buy Bandmate Brad Hord's Latest Release as well as Invocation and Overflow at CDBaby.com
Check Out Spirit Within Radio, Pheonix Radio, Native Radio, Starfire Radio, Awesome Radio, Native Voices Radio, and Airos.org, as well as the Hand of Grandfather Radio Program on XM Satellite and the Music Choice Channel program Soundscapes to hear songs from these Cds
- Inspired by his Cherokee heritage, North Carolina singer/songwriter Chris Ferree released his first Native American CD in 2007 titled Invocation. Influenced by Robert Mirabal, Bill Miller, and Mary Youngblood, among others. Invocation was rooted in the traditional, while balancing on the edges of world and classical.-------------------------------------------
- A combination of strong traditional Native American flute, drums and percussion, fused with contemporary instruments and various ethnic sounds. The result was a ten song collection of diverse instrumentals that ranged from haunting and meditative to spontaneous and moving, reflecting the spiritual journey of a man looking into his past trying to find a way of understanding the present.--------------------------------------------------------
- Chris’s second Native American offering Overflow is a spiritually charged outpouring intended to at once lift the spirit and calm the soul, a fusion of sounds and influences breathed in over the years and released like a flood, full of power and passion.------------------------------------------------------------------------
- Drawing inspiration from historical events and the stories of yesterday joined with a hopeful vision of what tomorrow. Overflow is an act of worship filled with resonating drums, stirring percussion, and soaring flute, cascading through lush strings and pads, with flourishes of piano and strumming guitar, creating an emotional and melodic atmosphere of sounds.--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- Overflow and Invocation, pushes the boundaries of the traditional, blending jazz, folk, world, and classical, bringing a familiar sound into the future. But if you listen closely you can hear echoes of the past and a deep admiration for the heritage from which this beautiful music was born.-------
- “I hope you enjoy and embrace these songs as much as I hope they honor and respect the Principle people of this land, those who walked the red road long ago and those who long to walk it now.”---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Walking the Red Road--------------------------------------*
Step 1: Observe nature with awe and gratitude. and a sense of love and respect for all creation will begin to grow within you.--------------------------------*
Step 2: Learn to trust Creator, and accept your circumstances. Overcoming adversity will produce spiritual growth within you.---------------*
Step 3: Seek for truth within yourself, that you may remove hypocrisy and evil intent from within your heart.---------------------------------------------------*
Step 4: Repent and humbly surrender your will to the Creator, that you may become one with the Great Spirit.----------------------------------------------------*
Step 5: Communicate with the Great Spirit from your heart. Listen, and live with the insight you receive.------------------------------------------------------------*
Step 6: Learn true abstinence. It is in serving others, with an attitude of loving-kindness, so that you create a flow of living water that will purify your heart.------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------*
Step 7: Attain complete, joyous harmony with the Great Spirit. This requires that I totally surrender your will to the will of the Creator, and love others unconditionally without judgment because that is who you are.---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------The Circle from the Cd Invocation----------------------------
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----------------------------------------------Dance of The Blue Blanket---------------------------------------------------------------by Barbara "Shining Woman" Warren--------------------
Nadia was four years old...and she loved Indians. Everything about Indians excited her. One day Nadia's grandmother came for a visit. Grandmother recalled those old stories the family told of Cherokee blood. So Grandmother decided to take Nadia, along with Nadia's mother and baby brother, to her first pow wow.
Little Nadia stood at the edge of the Circle. She watched with awe as the dancers passed by her dressed in their beautiful clothing. She listened intently to the drum, her knees dipping with the beat and Nadia knew she wanted to dance. But there were so many kinds of dances going on. She watched the men; then the women. She lifted one foot, then the other, puzzled about just what she should do with her feet.
Nadia felt a tap on her shoulder. Looking up she saw a smiling woman dressed in beautiful clothing holding out her hand toward Nadia. Nadia hesitated and glanced at her grandmother for approval. Grandmother's eyes smiled, "Yes."
So Nadia accepted the hand of the stranger and together they danced and danced around the Circle. After a while, Nadia began to dance on her own. As Grandmother watched, Nadia started to twirl and whirl holding her arms up high in the air in imitation of the lovely fancy shawl dancers.
Grandmother beckoned to Nadia. She gave her a small blue blanket belonging to Nadia's baby brother. Nadia placed the blanket around her shoulders and began to dance with it in the Circle, the blue blanket twirling and whirling about her like the wings of a butterfly.
She felt another tap on her shoulder, and there stood a different woman, and in her out-stretched hand she held a child-sized fringed shawl. Nadia glanced at Grandmother for approval. Grandmother's eyes smiled, "Yes."
So Nadia accepted the gift from the stranger. She placed the fringed shawl about her shoulders and then began to dance, the fringed shawl twirling and whirling about her like the wings of a butterfly.
Nadia danced in honor of all those ancestors who had come before and with the pure joy of being a little girl at her very first pow wow.-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------Bill Miller Quotes-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------* "Songs are healing to the soul and can be used in reconciliation between people of all races."---------------------------------------------------------------------------------*
"I don't want anyone to carry around this guilt. All we need is to be allowed to speak, to mourn, to express anger, then be allowed to forgive our oppressors. This could lead to a deeply powerful spiritual change in the U.S. and the world. It could be a statement about peacemaking that comes with courage."---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------*
"My faith in my Creator leaves me content with the gifts I have and I use them to enrich the world through His blessings. I choose to bless people rather than curse them, to be a peacemaker rather than a warmaker." ------*
"I've been given a lot of second chances in my life. I've been through alcoholism and other problems. I was lifted out of the ditch, and I still see a blue sky above. After years of living against the grain, I see things as rivers, creeks and rainstorms, as the liquid layers of my life."---------------------*
"It reminds me of a cocoon," he says of Indian music. "First you see the webs in the trees, then you can see the chrysalis. We've metamorphosed into a beautiful thing. I really feel strongly that we're going to be embraced by world music. We're the blood in this country's veins."----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bill Miller - Ghost Dance---------------------------------
------------------------------Native American Words of Wisdom-------------------------------
Hi Chris.. Hope all is going good for you this month. I was just listening to the Circle. Its such a great beautiful song. Looking forward to listening to more. Lots of peace and happiness your way on this beautiful day in the Emerald Isle, Eire (Ireland) x
Your vocals, intertwined with your lyrics, convey your message with such poignant passion, so beautifully...hope we hear more of them soon. I wish you a week filled with Light, Love, Fun and Peace, my Friend...
Pheonix Radio Party next weekend, everyone is Welcome please tune in.
Pheonix Radio's 1st Birthday celebration is from Friday November 21st to Sunday 23rd 2008 Tune In & also Chat with the Us the DJ's for a Weekend of Madness info at http://www.pheonixradio.net/birthday.html
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I heard your song "Whisper in the Wind" on another page and enjoyed it so much I came by to hear some more. I really enjoy your melodies and you have a fantastic voice !
Thank you for the honor of letting me into your beautiful world. I loved all of the music you played here. I am looking forward already to coming back and listening again. Lots of love and light your way fifi
Thanks, Chris, for accepting my request and for the kind message. In addition to the excellent music marketing opportunities, I created the "Native American Culture" category to pay tribute to the magnificent and sovereign nations that exist in the Americas. I spent some time studying Native American customs, traditions, art and medicine. My skin is white, but my blood is red. Everyone is a "native" to the earth and is a child of God.
I loved listening to your music. It's very well done. You've balanced the traditional with the contemporary quite effectively.
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