PEACEMAKER'S JOURNEY

With Peacemaker's Journey, Native American artist Joanne Shenandoah may well have made a recording that will appeal even to those who've previously been dismissive of the genre. Voted Best Female Artist in both 1998 and '99 at the Native American Music Awards, Shenandoah has even topped herself with this concept album that chronicles the Iroquois legend of the Peacemaker. Elements of the story, as written in the fine liner notes, correspond with Biblical tales of the Christ Child, Lazarus, and even Moses. Understated, graceful, and universal in appeal, the artist's magnificent vocals are married with a warm array of both Native American and classical instruments. Peacemaker's Journey is pure magic. --Paige La Grone