Douglas Blue Feather

Douglas Blue Feather, a prolific composer and flutist, has gained international recognition for his unique blend of Native American-style flutes with varying instrumentation and textures. Since his emergence in the late 1990s, he has built a global fan base through his performances and recordings. His talent has been acknowledged by numerous national music awards, including the Native American Music Awards, the Indian Summer Music Awards, the Native American Style Flute Awards, the Global Music Awards, and the Visionary Music Awards. In 2024, he released his 23rd studio album, Blue Chill.

Ohio native Douglas Bonnell, who later adopted the name Douglas Blue Feather, has a diverse ancestry that includes American Indian, Iberian, and European roots. He is also an adopted member of the Yankton Sioux Nation of South Dakota. His first record, Seventh Fire, was released on <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Spirit+Hawk%22">Spirit Hawk</a> in the spring of 1998 and features his flute with keyboards, percussion, and nature sounds. His sophomore album, 2000's Arrival, won Best Independent Album at the Native American Music Awards (the Nammys) and was picked up by the <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22ZYX+Music%22">ZYX Music</a> label in 2003. He won another Nammy in 2002, this time for Flutist of the Year for Ride the Lightning, a solo flute recording. Also on <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Spirit+Hawk%22">Spirit Hawk</a> were 2003's Star Nations, which won a Best New Age Nammy, the following year's The Great Spirit of Christmas with <a href="spotify:artist:4dxwCR9WnMTMqsCJYiJOaT">Char-El</a> on keyboards, 2005's Time for Truth, which won him another Best New Age Nammy, and 2006's Heal the Earth.

In 2007, he became a voting member of the Grammys in the Producers & Engineers Wing and also released A Crown of Stars with Dunlap and <a href="spotify:artist:7A3mDpui5ipsW9Ki9nBJHe">Henke</a> on the <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Divine+Wind%22">Divine Wind</a> label, featuring his flute, keyboards, percussion, guitar, lap slide, and bass. The same year, another solo album, The Spirit of the Flute, was released back on <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Spirit+Hawk%22">Spirit Hawk</a>, and Blue Feather was featured on <a href="spotify:artist:0qfuxQiPQ79eohvARHBLFs">Peter Kater</a>'s album Faces of the Sun, which was nominated for a Grammy for Best New Age Album. 2008 saw the releases of Kokopelli Christmas and Sacred Space. A collection, The Best of Douglas Blue Feather, was issued in 2010, and he won Indian Summer Music Awards for his following three albums: Rollin' Like Thunder, which partnered him with guitarist Danny Voris and several guest artists, 2011's Earth Songs, again with Voris, and 2012's Flute Medicine.

Five more albums, including 2018's Southwest-focused Santa Fe Trail and 2021's restorative Time for Healing, preceded the release of his 23rd long-player, 2024's Blue Chill. ~ Marcy Donelson & James Christopher Monger, Rovi