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  Mary Youngblood
Feed the Fire (Silver Wave Records,
2004)
I have already listened to this CD a few times. Aleut Native musician
Mary
Youngblood's limitless talent shines through on this diverse recording and she stretches her wings even further than on her previous
award-winning Beneath the Raven Moon. Feed the Fire which is dedicated to sisters and to their partners,
fathers, lovers, grandfathers, nephews etc., reflects on a woman venturing into her "autumn years," and the many gifts that surface during those
years. One such gift in Mary's case, is a growth in confidence in her musical talent. On Beneath the Raven Moon, Mary added
her vocal talents for the first time and on Feed the Fire, she is heard for the first time on piano and alto flute. Her piano and flute
composition, Far From Home is a gorgeous Erik Satie-style piece embellished by Native American flute. And the baroque style
Search for Warmth also lingers in the classical realm while alternately embarking on a flight of fancy.).
Mary along with producer, multi-instrumentalist and composer Tom Wasinger
explore a variety of musical styles and a rich palette of moods that range from Wasinger's whimsical On This Journey to the hearty
titular song that features a silky vocal duet with the
illustrious Joanne Shenandoah. Mohican musician Bill Miller contributes his
wails on the powerful Heart's Desire. (Joanne Shenandoah and Bill Miller recently appeared along with Navajo/Ute Flautist R.
Carlos Nakai on a PBS special). The touted track on the CD, the upbeat, Passion to Ignite features Ian Anderson of Jethro Tull's
flute, Mary's vocables set over a wash of tribal percussion, mountain dulcimer, hammered zither and kora. The end result is
radio-friendly global music that goes beyond just
stoking the fire. Similar to other tracks that appear on Feed the Fire, this one
is also displays a great deal of imagination.
Mary also offers her poetic gift to the CD. She contributes a poem that includes
all the titles of Feed the Fire's songs,
"I'm on my way to feed the fire
I'm going to that sacred place far from home
where there are passions to ignite and dreams to find
for it is a long long road to our heart's desire and to our destiny...
in the endless search for warmth on this journey."
She tells stories of transformational relationships and the journey from
childhood to old age that are soul provoking. And she dedicates her album to her birth mother, Nadia Tanade Mattson who died on October 17, 2003 and in
special memory to a twenty-two year old Hopi/Navajo mother and soldier, Lori
Piestewa who died on March 23, 2003. (She was the first American woman soldier
to be killed on combat in a foreign country). However, Feed the Fire will leave
its listeners feeling uplifted and its dedications reflect Mary Youngblood's
compassionate spirit.
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