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 June 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, Robert Mirabal
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. He left us on October 12. He was 70 years old and I am really saddened by this loss.