Leon Littlebird, Will Clipman and Lisa White in concert at Solar Culture Gallery

Leon Littlebird and Will Clipman first met in 2012 as “Floating Artists-in-Residence” for a two-week Ancestral Voices of the Grand Canyon rafting expedition on the Colorado River. Their simpatico was immediate: not only did the Rocky Mountain troubadour and the Sonoran Desert drummer become fast friends; they discovered an innate ability to improvise and compose together. This led to a magical post-expedition concert at Coconino Center for the Arts in Flagstaff, Arizona. After performing several other inspired concerts together, The SunDog Twins recorded their first duo album Shadow Chant, followed by an album release tour in Colorado.

Artist Bio: Leon Littlebird
A third generation native of Colorado with ancestral roots in both Pioneer and Native American cultures, Leon Joseph Littlebird is a consummate musician, recording artist, performer and storyteller. In his forty-plus year career he has recorded ten solo albums and performed countless concerts, festivals and storytelling gigs. His primary instruments are guitars, native flutes, voice and percussion. His passion for Native American flute music started as a child and has grown to include composing, performing and recording ancient instruments in the traditional fashion as well as in diverse genres from classical to Celtic, folk, rock and jazz. Recently, he co-composed and performed a five-movement Concerto with Carpe Diem String Quartet entitled Anthem for the Ancestors. He received the honor of a Wurlitzer Fellowship for music in Taos, New Mexico in 2014. Littlebird’s performances delight audiences on prestigious stages in Colorado and all over the country. Explore Littlebird’s creative world further at www.littlebirdmusic.com.

Artist Bio: Will Clipman
Will Clipman began playing his father’s drums and his mother’s piano at the age of three. He played his first professional gig at fourteen, and has since then mastered a pan-global palette of percussion in addition to the traditional drumset. Will has received seven GRAMMY® Nominations, including one for his solo world music album Pathfinder. He is also a three-time Native American Music Award Winner, a Canadian Aboriginal Music Award Winner, a New Age Reporter Music Award Winner, a Zone Music Reporter Award Winner and a two-time TAMMIE Award Winner, and has been inducted into the Tucson Musicians Museum for his contributions to the musical community in his hometown. Will has recorded over seventy albums, including thirty-five for Canyon Records, the world’s foremost Native American music label. Will has performed and recorded with Canyon label mate R. Carlos Nakai for thirty years, as well as with many other internationally acclaimed artists and ensembles, and has toured throughout the United States as well as in Canada, Germany, Morocco and Russia. His solo Planet of Percussion® performance and workshop takes audiences of all ages on a world tour of rhythm and polyrhythm. Explore Will’s creative world further at www.willclipman.com.