Gone to Distant Shores: Gary Stroutsos Gone at 70
by John Diliberto 10/15/2024
I recently received the sad news that we lost another member of the Echoes family: flute player Gary Stroutsos. He died on October 12 from Multiple System Atrophy a rare neurological disease that essentially deteriorates the brain and body functions it controls.
Gary was born on July 19, 1954 in Vermont. He started out professionally as an Afro-Cuban jazz flute player until he discovered the Native American flute and became one of the few true virtuosos on that instrument. His first album in the Native American mold was Distant Shores in 1994 and his highest achievement in that realm may have been People of the Willows in 1999. It was based on melodies of the Mandan and Hidatsa tribes people of North Dakota.
A Gathering of Giants: R. Carlos Nakai, Gary Stroutsos, Mark Holland, Peter Phippen
Gary never took on Native American trappings. “Greek Italians can’t dress up like Indians,” he asserted. “It doesn’t work. They used Italians in the movies, to depict Indians, but I don’t think some of my friends would appreciate me putting on some stuff and hopping around up there. It’s just not in their interest to see that.” But he was embraced by the Native community and released several albums on the Indian Makoché label, alongside artists like Kevin Locke, Joseph Firecrow and Dakota Thunder. Gary went on to collaborate with many musicians, including Native flute player Keith Bear, pianist David Lanz and electronic musician Jonn Serrie.
I got to hang a lot with Gary in the oughts, when we would travel to Seattle for sessions. We recorded a couple of live performances with him including one in a cathedral outside of Seattle with Jonn Serrie.
Gary was passionate about the flute in all its forms and he was always bugging me to produce a flute show on Echoes with him to portray the global reach of the instrument. I don’t know why I didn’t do that. But Gary was always part of the show right up to his final recording, Songs for Leena – Improvisations on the Hopi Long Flute. Gary was a joy in this world as a person and as a musician. He was the one who got me calling Starbucks Charbucks because of the burnt aspect of their coffee, back when they were just beginning to take over the world.
Gary was a garrulous and funny guy, but his music was mostly very serene and contemplative, with albums like Hidden World, Within You Without You, and Moonlight Meditations, which traversed a more world music sound.
Gary Stroutsos came around at the peak of the Native American flute trend, but he transcended that in his music, creating the kind of global communicating sound that he aspired too. He leaves behind his wife, Alice and two children Mia and Zach. . He left us on October 12. He was 70 years old and I am really saddened by this loss.
Touching tribute John. Thanks for that. I didn’t know Gary but felt a sense of sympatico with the guy you described. I’m glad he is no longer struggling !!
Thank you.
Hi, I could be wrong, but I don’t believe the guy on the far right is Robert Mirabal
Yep! Already fixed that.
Thank you John for the wonderful tribute. I met Gary in 2019 when my documentary about Standing Rock played at the Social Justice Film Festival in Seattle. Gary performed before the screening. His playing was transcendent, taking you to places of deep connection. A group of us had dinner after and Gary and I struck up one of best conversations which continued via phone calls and emails until 2021. We were working towards making a documentary, but Gary was very humble, always wanting to throw the spotlight on others. He was an extraordinary person and amazing artist whose contributions will continue to resonate in many communities for generations to come. I will miss our conversations, his unique wit and generous spirit. I am comforted that his music and legacy will live on.
Hi John,
I came across your thoughtful tribute to Gary and just wanted to reach out. I was a childhood friend of Gary’s. Shortly after graduating from high school, Gary moved of the area (in Michigan — where his family had moved from Vermont when Gary was in middle school) and we connected infrequently, gradually losing touch in our late 40s. Around 2018 I got a a gig in the Seattle area and we reconnected, especially the last couple of years. It was magical hanging out with him and his son Zach, and in that short time we got to know one another again. In that time I found out more about his musical journey and some of his songs that get millions of monthly hits online. My last contact with Gary was a bike ride we took in August. We were supposed to go to a Mariners game at the end of the month but Gary texted a few days before saying he was in the hospital due to a fall he had while doing his daily ride. Gary had a unique soul and ability to bring joy to people. I will miss him dearly.
Mike Legault
Thank you Mike. So glad you were able to have that experience with Gary. A wonderful guy and musician.
Mike, this is Cathy Stroutsos, Gary’s sister. Thank you for the kind words about my brother. He will be missed by all. A piece of my heart is broken.
Gary was an extremely talented and caring individual. His passion for music was inspiring and I am blessed to have been his friend.
Whoever you are, yes you were.
“Spirit Romance” with Gary & David Lanz continues to be the pinnacle of my recording career. Gary’s sense of humor set me at ease. The peace came out in the final mix. We blossomed in the irony of an Italian playing wood flute & Lummi on violin.
Thank you john and Echos for your tribute. I was part of many of the recordings you mentioned as a percussionist and am also deeply saddened by the news. I treasure the memories of Gary and our creative process and many impactful performances . I know Gary held you snd Echos in very high regard and appreciated greatly you sharing our music with a wider audience.
Epaminondas Trimis “Plays the Earth”
So saddened to hear of Gary’s passing. He was such an inspirational guy, he guided me in the early days of my flute journey. I remember one time, we met up at Magnuson Park, he played a few songs, he listened to me play and then he hand wrote a composition for me to practice. Over the years, he shared many of his flutes and songs. He inspired me to play the NAS flute and gifted me several and any time I saw him at a concert or venue, he’d always gift me with one of his latest CDs. You were a friend and neighbor in Maple Leaf and I wish we had reconnected after I moved to LA and then returned to Seattle. Rest easy brother, you will be missed but your music will go on.
Dean Evenson and I are so sad to hear about Gary’s passing. He was a wonderful person and excellent flute player. More than that, he was a kind, fun, and generous person. He was an amazing Peace Through Music troubadour and he will be greatly missed.
Gary was a good friend and fantastic musician. I performed with him in Mukilteo, Washington and, with guitarist Gary Rollins, at the Jethro Tull convention on Long Island, NY in 2014. He will be sorely missed.
I was shocked to hear from Garys wife Alice that he had passed away ….I’m still in a state of shock..I’ve known gary since the 80’s…..We worked together at Nordstrom…..Gary is the person responsible for turning me on to Jazz ,teaching me ,enlightening me to a whole new world of music in general…..We dined together ,we saw many jazz greats at Jazz alley back in the day , we had long talks …….I will miss my buddy ….My condolences go out to his wife Alice and kids Mia and Zach ………Gary was loved by many as a friend and a very talented musician …….RIP my friend …..
With tears, I relate this:
I attended Grand Valley State college, Michigan, (as it was known ) back in about 1973 with Gary. We also went to Jamaica together, hitchhiking from Mich. to Fla, with long hair to boot. We reconnected in recent years at his gigs in Tucson. His life energy was invigorating. A fun person to be around. His flute playing was moving. A big loss for the world. My condolences to his family.
Hearts breaking here. We lost touch in recent years. Remembering the day on Alki where Gary was playing a cedar flute. It may have been the day he decided to move away from jazz. He will be missed. Condolences to Alice and family. Gary Anderson and Roberta Lang
I’m very saddened to hear of Gary’s passing. Back in the early 1980’s, I was driving from Port Angeles to Seattle for a meeting at Virginia Mason Hospital. It was early morning, and I was listening to a Seattle station that had a regular feature showcasing people and places around the Pacific Northwest. On this day, the show had a Native American Flute player from a tribe in Oregon (if I remember correctly), who made and played the NAF. He described how he would sit outside and the wind, birds, sun, trees and nature would guide his playing. I was mesmerized, and the sound of that flute stayed in my head and wouldn’t leave.
A couple of years later, I had moved to Bremerton, and my oldest daughter was babysitting a neighbor’s child. When I arrived to pick her up, there was NAF music playing! I asked the mother about it, and she loaned the CD to me – it was R. Carlos Nakai’s “Journeys”. I immediately bought a copy for myself, and knew I had to learn more about this amazing instrument.
One day, I attended a meeting in downtown Seattle, and was walking back to the ferry dock to head home. I was walking by the Nordstroms store, and a flyer in the window got my attention. It was an announcement that someone named Gary Stroutsos would be performing a concert featuring the NAF. Unfortunately, I wouldn’t be able to attend the concert, but I committed his name to memory. If I remember correctly, I found Gary in the phonebook and called him out of the blue. I told him of my fascination with the NAF, and I wanted to know if there was a way that I could buy one. He told me that if I would commit to it, that he would get one that he would sell me. I immediately said yes, and he told me he would be in touch.
Perhaps a month later, Gary called me and said he had a flute for me. We arranged a day to meet (a Saturday as I recall) , and I couldn’t wait for the day to come. I drove to Gary’s home, and he warmly welcomed me inside. He had a flute for me that was made by a friend of his in the Southwest. The flute is not signed, but I believe it is was made by O.W. Jones. Gary then spent the next four hours with me teaching me the history of the NAF, the fingering, scale, techniques, embellishments, etc. Then we listed to Cuban Jazz while drinking some coffee. The generosity of Gary was incredible! He started me on this journey which I treasure every day, and I will always be grateful to this incredible human being. Thanks again Gary, and we will meet again.