Canyon Drums: Exploration of Native Drumming [Import]

Editorial Reviews
About the Artist
Pete "Wyoming" Bender's inspiration comes from his Comanche heritage and many years of involvement with American Indian Movement. "Canyon Drums" was his first U.S. release and has been a constant top-seller in the Native American genre as well as such CDs as his "Medicine Man" and "Canyon Eagles."

Product Description
Rhythmic magic, created by Native American drums, is the focus of a series of compositions interweaving rattles and drums with chanting, Native American flutes and modern mood textures. The heartbeat rhythms played on Native drums form the basis of the compositions that draw sonic pictures of the spacious Canyons of the Southwest and sacred sites.

Canyon Drums: Exploration of Native Drumming,Peter Wyoming Bender,Talking Taco,Int'l & World Music,Native American,Pop,World Music

Tracks:

Rugged Roads
Spirit Mountain
Drums Before Sundown
Don't Ever Smoke the Right Pipe With the Wrong Man
Crow Dog's Paradise
Ax-Bi-Zha-Ye (Through the Air)
Hole in the Sky
Dedication to Chief Joseph
Flying Tomahawk
Sundown in Alaska
Return of Tatanka

Album Description

Rhythmic magic, created by Native American drums, is the focus of a series of compositions interweaving rattles and drums with chanting, Native American flutes and modern mood textures. The heartbeat rhythms played on Native drums form the basis of the compositions that draw sonic pictures of the spacious Canyons of the Southwest and sacred sites.

Customer Reviews:

Hauntingly Beautiful.......2006-05-21

I was totally blown away by this album. Pete Bender expresses his Native American heritage in a way that makes you feel what it is like to be an Indian. In a way I found this album a political expression of the sadness felt by the American Indian (over the loss of their land) that is still with them today. That sadness resonates throughout this album, it touches your soul in a such a way, that it makes you feel what it must have been like long, long ago during the Trail of Tears, The Long Walk; the tremendous emotional pain of that era is so evident yet beautifully expressed and deeply felt by the listener.

Great Music!.......2005-02-08

As I listen to this CD for the umpteenth time, I feel compelled to thank Peter Bender for it. Thank you, Peter.

Imagine sitting around the fire with others, dancing to the drums all night, as a way to honor the Creator, the Moment and celebrate the joy of shared Life. That's what this CD is like.

Favorite cuts: Spirit Mountain, Drums Before Sundown (which I regard as a true work of inspired beauty & genius), followed by Crow Dog's Paradise (even better, if it's possible, then Drums) and Dedication to Chief Joseph is unrelentingly *positive*--just try to be down after hearing this-- followed by the joy and thankfulness of "Return of Tananka"-- the celebration of the buffalo.

Music of the Land.......2004-04-16

I wasn't sure about this album when I received it as a gift, but thought I'd give it a try anyway. I was surprised by what I heard. Peter "Wyoming" Bender mixes the sounds of his Native culture with contemporary and a touch rock and other genres. The deep drums resonate under the rhythm of horse-bells while flute carries the melody either in a traditional sound, or the sound Bender has learned from his experience of music in traveling through Europe. Native chants add flavor to the songs, making them very authentic. As Enya is to her Celtic heritage, so Bender is to his Native American heritage. He takes the traditional, and colors it with beautiful music.

Several songs stand out on this album, like the deep and slow singing on "Crow Dog's Paradise". "Don't Ever Smoke the Right Pipe with the Wrong Man," has a little more of that Native feel with chanting and drums only in the middle, while the keyboard and flute hint slightly at an Enya feel. The opening "Rugged Roads" is one of the primer songs of the album, although the wind effect is a little too much. My favorite is "Ax-Bi-Zha-Ye (Through the Air)", where the drums have a strong presence in the beginning and periodically throughout as the synth strings adds a haunting color to the flute's melody. The first time I heard this song I mistook it for Enigma's, as it shares a lot of qualities with that particular band's work. "Hole In the Sky takes on a more modern feeling with a big double-bass sound and the opening reed-synthesized keyboard. The flute melody has a feeling of "If the Phone Doesn't Ring, It's Me" to it.

Bender is on the right track here combining the sounds of his ancestors with the sounds of today's music. I would like to find more of his work, but I must agree with a previous reviewer about the mixing quality of the album. The sound quality of this album is not deep and full as you would expect, and it becomes very apparent after listening to an album done properly immediately before "Canyon Drums". As Bender has said here he recorded the album with little knowledge of recording techniques. Besides the sound quality, the music is very good.

"Great Music.......".......2000-10-19

This album is fantastic! Very good music...worth buying.

Try the next one.......2000-09-05

I would like to thank all of you for your reviews. I enjoyed everyone of them-and what`s important for me is that I always learn new things that I can use for my next production.I recorded CANYON DRUMS with very little equipment and hardly any knowledge about technics. I`m a singer-songwriter-keyboarder and drummer and I`ve been at it for 40 years now and hope to go another 40. I will be moving back home to the states soon continuing there.I like to thank you again and please check out my new CD`s. "CANYON EAGLE" released about now by TALKING TACO RECORDS and RAINMAKER released by WOLFSONGS-CHEROKEE PRODUCTIONS. I hope you will like them and my future productions. my family roots are in Ft.Sill, Oklahoma and I have COMANCHE ancestry.

Pop Music:

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