Distinctly Montana Magazine

D I S T I N C T LY M O N TA N A • W I N T E R 2 0 1 7 38 JACK GLADSTONE has been called "Montana's Trouba- dour" and "Montana's Native Ambassa- dor." Gladstone has produced more than fourteen CDs and played in hundreds of venues. On top of all that, he's an engaging conversationalist. "I take seriously my responsibility of sharing my story, our Blackfeet story, and of getting it as correct as I can get it." e common thread that runs through the various practices Gladstone is engaged in — schol- arship, teaching, musical performance, poetry — is storytelling. "Stories are a form of sacred communion... To be fully present in the sacred is a union cre- ated with language." His voice rings with a sense of urgency. Many people — musicians or not — would agree with him that we've lost a profound sense of our connection to nature and one another. As a result, the upshot of what Gladstone strives for in his music is something beyond cultural identity, beyond "white" or "Indian" and so he casts the term "Americana" in a somewhat metaphysical hue. CARY MORIN represents a different style of Americana and offers a more soft-spoken, almost shy, approach in talking about Native American influence. Morin plays country-blues guitar with a natural flair and finesse that would make most Delta musicians jealous. He has been hailed as the "Native American Taj Mahal." Born in Billings, Morin belongs to the Crow tribe, but he grew up in Great Falls, where his father was in the U.S. Air Force and where Morin first picked up a guitar. Morin has put out three solo records now featuring his signature driving guitar style that sets the backdrop for his powerful, soulful singing. MORE THAN JUST FLUTES AND DRUMS ~ JACK GLADSTONE (TITLE GIVEN TO THE BOOK BY SCOTT PRINZING) N N ATI V E A ME R ICAN M U SI C JACK GLADSTONE'S TALENT: distinctlymontan.com/ gladstone TO CARY MORIN'S COUNTRY BLUES: distinctlymontan.com/ morin ENJOY LISTEN " MUSI C I S A R E VE R BE RAT I O N OF S U NLI GHT"

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