R. Carlos Nakai & Will Clipman Duo in Concert

Come share an intercultural musical journey, melding essences of culture, tradition and soulful innovation. Mixing original compositions with inspired improvisations, R. Carlos Nakai and Will Clipman duo features R. Carlos Nakai on Native American flutes, concert flute, trumpet and voice; Will Clipman on drums, pan-global percussion and voice. The music of this acclaimed duo spans the sonic spectrum from quietly contemplative to highly combustible and from soothingly meditative to irresistibly movement-inspired, always delivered with an impeccable blend of rhythm, melody and harmony and a positive vibration.  

Of Navajo-Ute heritage, R. Carlos Nakai is universally recognized as the world’s foremost composer and performer of the Native American Flute. Renowned for his solo and symphonic work, Nakai has also devoted a substantial portion of his career to cross-cultural, multi-genre collaboration. His flowing flute melodies are enhanced by the restlessly creative imagination of the nimble rhythms of ethno-world drummer Clipman. Irresistible global-ethnic-fusion grooves propel the signature sound of Nakai’s Native American flute into newly explored sonic territory.  

Carlos Nakai (Native American Flutes, vocals)

"I share an intercultural journey, melding es-sences of culture, traditions and innovation. The soulfulness of the all too human journey is typified in the blended sounds of varied instrumentation. The Native American flute assumes a balancing nature while moving through and around to assuage the steadfast earthiness of the supporting improvisational communication. Separate beings, separate voices, one mind, one soul, and one dream – Human. The wistful nature of our dreamtime are realized in myriad patinas of sound sketched upon an over-reaching canvas of air, unseen but intuited in fleeting gestures of expression of emotive interpretation for all to enjoy."   – RCN

Regarded as the world’s premiere performer of the Native American flute, Nakai sees his role as a performer of the flute not only to reiterate traditional sounds but to find new avenues of expression for the instrument.  In the 1980’s, R. Carlos was influenced to work with the Native American flute in contemporary music expressions at the Creative Music Studio’s World Music Seminar in Woodstock, NY.  He has recorded over 40 albums with Canyon Records, and both Earth Spirit and Canyon Trilogy have achieved RIAA Certified Gold Status.  Canyon Trilogy earned RIAA Certified Platinum status in 2014.

Will Clipman began playing his father’s drums and his mother’s piano at the age of three, played his first professional gig at fourteen, and has since mastered a pan-global palette of nearly one hundred percussion instruments in addition to the traditional drum set.  Will has recorded over sixty albums in many musical genres, including over thirty for the world’s leading Native American music label, Canyon Records.  He has performed and recorded with Native American flute master R. Carlos Nakai for a quarter century.