Pierre Cruzatte  A  Musical Journey Along the Lewis & Clark Trail with Daniel Slosberg

Review by D.H.T. Shippey


I tend not to do music reviews unless I come across something that I find extraordinary in its ability to capture and present 18th & early 19th century American history. I want to have my ears filled with sounds that transport my mind to the times and places we can normally only read about. Recently I had the great pleasure to discover Pierre Cruzatte, an adventurous, small, one-eyed man of Native American and French extraction. Cruzatte was one of the 33 men who joined the Lewis & Clark expedition exploring the NorthWest Passage and as a fiddle player was a regular source of entertainment during the long journey. My opportunity to encounter this figure and his music came through the man who interprets him for our modern eyes and ears: Daniel Slosberg. The album, Pierre Cruzatte: A Musical Journey Along the Lewis & Clark Trail, is simply outstanding. While listening to the album one can’t help but imagine the campfire in the wilderness surrounded by rough boisterous explorers clapping and singing along.





    






     



    

 


 


     













  

The music itself should be classified as living history because it absolutely breathes and dances around the room when played. Slosberg was careful during recording to only use well documented songs, period instruments and sounds. Beyond the album, Daniel Slosberg himself performs live as Cruzatte, presenting the history, character and music to audiences who are fortunate enough to see him.

      The only complaint I have with the album is that the distributing company has not yet made it available through iTunes, Napster or Amazon as an electronic download. One can hear samples of the tunes (and I recommend you do) at http://www.cruzatte.com/music_video.html but when you decide to order (and you will) you will have to wait for a CD shipped from either Native Ground Music or Amazon.com. This is a really amazing album that sets the bar high for recordings of traditional music. Give it a listen and if you have an opportunity to see Daniel as Pierre Cruzatte or his new show, Dr. Beanes & The Star Spangled Banner, don’t miss it.



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