Distinctly Montana Magazine

DISTINCTLY MONTANA'S WINTER PLAYLIST BY RACHEL HERGETT T he musicians I write about all say they're in Montana for the same reasons we're all here—for the slower pace and the landscape that continually inspires all forms of creativity. Plus, they like the camaraderie more than the money. NATIVE TROUBADOUR Jack Gladstone spent years chasing awards, and when he stopped looking, one finally found him. Gladstone's album "Native Anthropology" won the award for the "Best Historical Recording" at the 2011 Native American Music Awards, or the NAMMYs. He was also nominated for song- writer and folk album of the year. Gladstone, a member of the Blackfeet Nation who lives in Kalispell, considers himself a story-smith troubadour, traveling and sharing a part of a collective human cultural heritage. He follows in the footsteps of poetic tradition, spreading history through a lens of myth and parable. His latest focus is on athlete Jim Thorpe, who won two gold medals at the 1912 Sumer Olympic Games. The pro- gram, "American Sunlight and Shadow," explores the role athletics played in reforming Native American identity at the beginning of the 20th century. It was through sports, Gladstone said, that Native Americans were able to first compete on a level playing field. Gladstone doesn't relate to written music, and considers himself theoretically illiterate. Still, he found his voice in a public speaking class at the University of Washington, where he was better able to express his ideas through song, ending each speech that way. "Just because you can't read or write music doesn't mean you can't play or create," Gladstone said. Gladstone picked up a guitar at nine-years-old and now his style is an amalgamation of genres, incorporating pop, country, blues and even gospel in ways which he believes will best reach the audience. He performs full time and has recorded 15 albums, all of which he say wouldn't be possible elsewhere. "I wouldn't be creating the art I was creating if I was in Nashville or New York of Los Angeles, or 36 even Seattle for that matter," Gladstone said. "The big sky country is the inspirational landscape I immerse myself in." FAMILY FIDDLER Trevor Krieger grew up with a violin in his hands as a member of his family's band, the Krieger Family Fiddlers, who once performed for President Bill Clinton. At 13, he was the youngest musician in the Billings Symphony. "I didn't really appreciate music until I got a paycheck from it," he said. "It was a bonus and made me take things more seriously." By 18, he had won fiddle championships in Montana, Wyoming, Colo- rado, Utah and Canada. Now 34, Krieger has appeared on over 30 albums as a studio musician and performed on stage with the likes of the Ray Charles Orchestra, the Allman Brothers, Wilco and Alison Krauss and Union Station. Jack Gladstone DISTINCTLY MONTANA • WINTER 2013

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