The Redhouse Family
Front row (left to right): Charlotte (vocals), Rex
(traditional vocals) and Mary (bass, vocals).
Back row (left to right): Vince (tenor sax, guitar), Tony
(percussion), Larry (piano, keyboards), and Lenny (drums).
The Redhouse Family is comprised of the six children (Mary,
Charlotte, Vince, Tony, Lenny and Larry) of Rex and Maria Redhouse. Of
the Diné (Navajo) nation, Rex was reared in the Four Corners region.
His father, Hastiin Kinlichiinii was of the Kinlichiinii (Redhouse) clan
and his mother, Nora, was of the Bit'ahnii clan. Drafted into the U.S.
Army in 1942, Rex was sent to the Pacific and participated in the
liberation of the Phillipines. There he met Maria but returned to the
United States unmarried in 1945.
Rex went home to the Four Corners area where he tended sheep and
helped with farm chores. In 1947 he went back to the Philippines to
marry Maria and resume his civil service career with the U.S. Army. In
1950 he moved his family to California where he attended Santa Clara
University graduating with a degree in business. After retiring from the
federal service in 1977, Rex became comptroller for the Tohono O'odham
nation of southern Arizona and a finance consultant.
The Redhouses attribute their love of music to hearing their father
sing traditional songs and their mother play show tunes, Christmas
carols and church music on the piano. All sang in church choirs and
several received classical training in piano. In 1969, Rex began the
Redhouse Dancers, a dance group that performed traditional Native
American music and dances at schools, conventions and other venues to
educate audiences about Native American culture. Most siblings remain
active in the dance group though family obligations and distance make it
difficult for all to perform together. This recording brings together
the diverse creativity of each in a gathering of this family's many
composing and performing talents.
Mary (bass & vocals) continues to perform with her father's group
and has established a career in southern Arizona as a solo entertainer,
composer and educator. Mary is versatile in country western, blues, jazz
and has a four-and-a-half octave vocal range. She can demonstrate a wide
variety of vocal colors from animal cries and bird calls to scat lines
and traditional Navajo chants. She has conducted residencies for the
Arizona Commission on the Arts and provided music for documentaries for
PBS affiliate KUAT-TV in Tucson. She is also a member of the R. Carlos
Nakai Quartet and the William Eaton Ensemble appearing on the Ensemble's
Canyon Records release, Naked in Eureka. Mary was introduced to jazz in
grade school and has been influenced by Ella Fitzgerald, Carmen MacRae,
Sarah Vaughn and the classic Miles Davis.
Charlotte (vocals) wrote the song "O Where Are You
Tonight?" specifically for this album; a song inspired from living
out on the land. She is strongly influenced by rhythm & blues and
rock vocalists and appreciates all music that flows from the soul. She
also expresses herself in visual creative mediums including painting and
creating contemporary and traditional Native American jewelry.
Vince (tenor saxophone & guitar) was deeply influenced by his
father singing Navajo chants as he grew up and an uncle who listened to
jazz. Vince has been influenced by Miles Davis, Joe Henderson, Stan
Getz, Santana, Tower of Power and Redbone. After high school he attended
music school and played with the Air Force Band. In addition to
performing with his brothers and sisters, Vince plays in an acid jazz
group based in northern California where he lives. Vince wants Native
American youth to be aware and proud of their native heritage and spends
time teaching his own children about their traditions.
Tony (percussion) performs with groups in Phoenix ranging in style
from rhythm & blues, funk, jazz to Afro-Cuban and because of this
diversity in style, considers himself a worldbeat percussionist. Tony
feels the Native American drumbeat is the foundation of his drumming but
has been influenced by artists like Mongo Santamaria, Candido and Cal
Tjader. He has worked as a art director at a Native American
rehabilitation program where he used his music, his art (symbols,
maskmaking) and Native American dance as means of therapy. He works as a
Native American traditional consultant with Native American AIDS and
behavioral health programs. Tony has established his own Native American
art, dance and music company which presents shows and classes to
schools, corporations and the community. Tony also performs with Canyon
Records artists Robert
Tree Cody and Rob Wallace.
Lenny (drums) plays with several musical groups in Tucson as well as
performing with the Redhouse Dancers. Like his siblings, Lenny was
influenced by his father's singing as he grew up. His biggest jazz
influences have been Chick Corea and Herbie Hancock. A versatile
musician, Lenny is familiar with different musical genres and has
performed with country and hard rock bands. His greatest musical
pleasure is to perform with his brothers and sisters because of the
intuitive, shared spirit they have when they play.
Larry (piano, keyboards) composed six of the songs heard on this
recording and has always loved jazz and the art of improvisation. The
first time he heard jazz was hearing Herbie Hancock while watching the
cartoon show, "Fat Albert." He listened to Miles Davis,
Freddie Hubbard, Keith Jarrett, Chick Corea among others. Originally a
performer of the trumpet and timbales, Larry began serious piano studies
in high school when he began playing professionally. He founded LRQ, a
jazz fusion group, that opened for Chick Corea, Art Blakey alumni
Terence Blanchard and Donald Harrison and the fusion group Uncle
Festive. He has also performed throughout the southwest as a solo
pianist. He continues to perform with the Redhouse Dancers, performing
the hoop, eagle and northern traditional style dances. |
