Search - Douglas Spotted Eagle :: Ultimate Collection

Native American flutist Douglas Spotted Eagle dedicates this album to children as part of his efforts to support the prevention of child abuse. The result is a compilation of Spotted Eagle's strongest material, beginning with the very emotional "The Traveler," a piece the composer wrote after his children were taken from him. Rife with soothing cedar flute, this album sets an expansive, spiritual mood slow in tempo and sparse in instrumentation. Native chant and drums fill out the swaths of long, lush flute, ambient synth, and chiming guitar. "Daddy's Arms," though an emotionally meaningful song for what seems to be divorced and absent fathers, is definitely the odd pick out. Spotted Eagle is not a trained singer, and the tune would have benefited from one, especially since the featured instrumentation is piano à la Jim Brickman. Outside of this small peculiar blip at the CD's end, this album is a respectable collection of beautiful Native flute music that emits a centered, calming energy. --Karen K. Hugg