Jeff Ball (born August 6, 1966 in
Bethesda, Maryland
Bethesda () is an unincorporated, census-designated place in southern Montgomery County, Maryland, United States. Located just northwest of Washington, D.C., it is a major business and government center of the Washington metropolitan region ...
) is a
Native American flute
The Native American flute is a musical instrument and flute that is held in front of the player, has open finger holes,
and has two chambers: one for collecting the breath of the player and a second chamber which creates sound.
The player breat ...
player. He found the flute at a
Powwow
A powwow (also pow wow or pow-wow) is a gathering with dances held by many Native Americans in the United States, Native American and First Nations in Canada, First Nations communities. Inaugurated in 1923, powwows today are an opportunity fo ...
in
Baltimore, Maryland
Baltimore is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland. With a population of 585,708 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census and estimated at 568,271 in 2024, it is the List of United States ...
in 1991. Although given some basic instruction by a
Choctaw
The Choctaw ( ) people are one of the Indigenous peoples of the Southeastern Woodlands of the United States, originally based in what is now Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. The Choctaw language is a Western Muskogean language. Today, Choct ...
man named Wintamer, Ball is largely self-taught. His early inspiration came from
R. Carlos Nakai and
. In 1997, Ball was signed to the Red Feather Music label based in
Arvada, Colorado
Arvada () is a home rule city located in Jefferson and Adams counties, Colorado, United States. The city population was 124,402 at the 2020 United States census, with 121,510 residing in Jefferson County and 2,892 in Adams County. Arvada is ...
. Ball's album's have received numerous nominations for the
Native American Music Awards
The Native American Music Awards (also known as the NAMAs or "Nammys") are an awards program presented annually by Elbel Productions, Inc., The Native American Music Awards Inc., and The Native American Music Association, a 501(c)(3) non-profi ...
, winning the Native Heart award in 2001.
Ball records and travels with several musicians including his brother Randy Ball (
bass guitar
The bass guitar (), also known as the electric bass guitar, electric bass, or simply the bass, is the lowest-pitched member of the guitar family. It is similar in appearance and construction to an Electric guitar, electric but with a longer nec ...
), Ted Natale (
percussion
A percussion instrument is a musical instrument that is sounded by being struck or scraped by a percussion mallet, beater including attached or enclosed beaters or Rattle (percussion beater), rattles struck, scraped or rubbed by hand or ...
,
drum kit
A drum kit or drum set (also known as a trap set, or simply drums in popular music and jazz contexts) is a collection of drums, cymbals, and sometimes other Percussion instrument, auxiliary percussion instruments set up to be played by one p ...
,
Hang), John Natale (
guitar
The guitar is a stringed musical instrument that is usually fretted (with Fretless guitar, some exceptions) and typically has six or Twelve-string guitar, twelve strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming ...
), Barrie McLeod (
guitar
The guitar is a stringed musical instrument that is usually fretted (with Fretless guitar, some exceptions) and typically has six or Twelve-string guitar, twelve strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming ...
,
piano
A piano is a keyboard instrument that produces sound when its keys are depressed, activating an Action (music), action mechanism where hammers strike String (music), strings. Modern pianos have a row of 88 black and white keys, tuned to a c ...
), Sennen Quigley (
guitar
The guitar is a stringed musical instrument that is usually fretted (with Fretless guitar, some exceptions) and typically has six or Twelve-string guitar, twelve strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming ...
,
piano
A piano is a keyboard instrument that produces sound when its keys are depressed, activating an Action (music), action mechanism where hammers strike String (music), strings. Modern pianos have a row of 88 black and white keys, tuned to a c ...
), and Greg Dillon (
guitar
The guitar is a stringed musical instrument that is usually fretted (with Fretless guitar, some exceptions) and typically has six or Twelve-string guitar, twelve strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming ...
).
Guests on Ball's albums include
Welela
''Welela'' is an album by the South African musician Miriam Makeba, released in 1989. It was produced primarily by Sipho Mabuse.
Critical reception
''The New York Times'' wrote that "Makeba mixes old and new on ''Welela'', using a polished moder ...
,
Joseph Firecrow,
Peter Phippen,
Arvel Bird, and
,
Ron Kravitz.
Discography
*''Dancing with the Wind'' (Limited release demo cassette)
*''Mixed-Blood''
*''Reverence''
*''Windtamer''
*''Cedar Moon'' (2001 NAMA Winner Native Heart)
*''Prairie Runner''
*''Songs of Winter''
*''Return to Balance''
*''The Shape of Light'' (2007 ISMA Winner Best Flute Album)
*''Ghost Town'' (Released March 28, 2009.)
*''Secrets of a Crow''
*''Live''
References
* https://web.archive.org/web/20071012085334/http://indiansummer.org/ISMA_Winners.htm ISMA 2007 Winners
* http://www.nativeamericanmusicawards.com/files/NAMA_ARCHIVES_BY_ARTIST.pdf
External links
Jeff Ball(official website)
Jeff Ball at Reverb Nation(Reverb Nation Page)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ball, Jeff
Native American flute players
1966 births
Living people