Michael Joseph: PRESS/Reviews

“The Departure”

It happened to me once. I had worked the late shift and after many more hours with my eyes open than shut, I headed for home. The twenty-one mile trip in the blowing January snow made it tough going. I felt myself nodding more than once. A red car coming down the middle of the road helped me to quickly decide which ditch I would end up in and since I'm right handed, there I was. After the red car disappeared I fell asleep, but only for a few minutes. Then I awoke with a start to find a small blue tractor pulling me out of the ditch and back on the road. Before I could get out of the truck and stammer my thanks, the tractor operator disappeared into the white nothingness. The next morning, the mud on the fenders told me it was not a dream. The new album by Michael Joseph, Ten Minutes Over the Wheel, reminds us that sometimes it is better to stop, catch our breath and get a fresh perspective before plunging ahead. A little rest would not hurt, either.

I remember reviewing Joseph's previous album O-Glepi in 2008. The album was pure Native American flute with very traditional tunes. Ten Minutes Over the Wheel is a departure from that style, to the point where it sometimes seems like listening to a different artist. This is nothing new; people change their habits and styles all the time. The trick is to make it as likable and musically effective as the original form.

Christians believe that Jesus Christ was crucified on a hill called Golgotha. It ancient times it was forbidden to execute anyone within the city limits of Jerusalem, so the "place of the skull" was used. History tells us that Golgotha was the site of many temples and places of worship and subsequently, the location of many churches. Michael's tune, which is a mixture of flute and high-spirited guitar fashions a tune almost Gypsy-like in its quality. Perhaps it is the reverberation of tortured souls, finally coming to rest and celebrating the freedom of the spirit.

August Moon Adagio starts off like a mellow nighttime adventure with a blue moon and the calls of the darkness. Eventually it gains momentum and turns into a rag as they call it or even better, cowboy swing? The flute disappears as the sharp strumming guitar fills the space with spunky licks of happy notes. The music invites you to get your dancing boots on and cut a rug.

Great fingerstyle guitar is the method behind the title tune, Ten Minutes Over the Wheel. The Native American flute dodges in and out like unexpected company, right outside the door, and always welcome. The song is too short for me, but it does act as a mental pick-me-up. It is a song of counterpoint between rest and reverie.

Michael revisits his Native American roots with the soulful flute tune Two Hawks Circling. The combined music of two flutes soars above the plain in a thermal powered pas de deux, rising, falling and gliding above the spiritual threshold. The song, for Michael and for the listeners, is there to remind us of where we have been. We should never let our roots die, no matter how spread out they are. They are the foundation of our lives, past and future.

Some high charging slide guitar makes its appearance in the blues tune Column D Blues. Let's face it, sometimes we are afforded one too many choices and that's the trap. Everything looks good, but when you see what you wind up with, you just have to play the blues. No flute in this one, just some very good string bending music. Great for the parlor or the back porch.

The album closes with my favorite track, the melodious song Spirit Trails (Erin's Song). It is a homespun ballad that reverberates with the sound of the familiar and the sense of the unknown. It is all the places we have been on our own journey and all the places we dream about. If anything, the music is a promise of an interesting future.

I do not know which direction Michael Joseph is heading as an artist. That is why I call this album a departure. What I do know is that not every departure is an exit, but a beginning. Perhaps after a bit of rest, Michael will set his new course (sometimes just ten minutes will do) and take us along on his new journey.

"With Ten Minutes Over the Wheel, Michael Joseph weaves acoustic guitars with native flutes in a way that results in a beautiful journey to the listener. His heart and spirit shine through the artistry in this recording. I very much enjoyed all of the tracks and recommend the CD to anyone who is a fan of acoustic music"

Jan Michael Looking Wolf
2009 Artist of the Year Native American Music Awards

"I love where the last decade has taken Michael. While this new collection retains the spiritual vibe of his previous work—and while it remains authentically world music,”like in nature, it's evolved to cross so many other genre boundaries that anyone can pull something valuable from this CD. Ten Minutes Over the Wheel is a montage of moods, introspection’s, and, from my vantage point, even resolutions. These songs--these spiritual vignettes--helped me release and heal the grief associated with losing a loved one. Powerful, meaningful stuff! Ten Minutes Over the Wheel is like O-Glepi on steroids."

New! Download our Promo poster in Jpeg format for Promotion prior to performances.

ACoustic_Perf_MJU_Large_poster.jpg

On Michael Joseph’s latest CD O-glepi the sub-title is Songs for Native American Flute and Guitar but also includes the use of several other instruments. Spare use, minimal use of special effects. There are some sound-bytes in the background. The sun has begun to shine and the combination of guitar and flute begins to haunt me, a romantic notion of loves gone by, of win or lose, of beauty and the beast, of flute and guitar, these sounds won’t leave me alone. The Spanish tone of the song Redrock reminds me of the Spanish origin of the guitar and I wonder then if the Spanish conquistadores brought a guitar with them. They certainly brought horses with them. A rain stick is played and I am reminded of how this ride got started this morning. The fourth song on the CD, Traditional plays on the little I-pod shuffle that I listen to and I am transported to a place of peace and serenity as the medicine man plays a rattle over me and prays with such spiritual fervor that a tear wells up in my eye. The song is performed on a Traditional five-hole flute. I roll south along the eastern shore of Lake Calhoun and my pace is smooth and effortless. “O-glepi is Lakota for shadow. It is a perfect title for music that profiles the harsh, yet honorable life that the Plains peoples embraced. Even today there is no stronger example of tradition than that of the Native American people. Michael Joseph has put history to music and he has done it well. I have always felt that there is much musical territory to explore between the contemporary and traditional forms. The combining of the various elements that make up these forms and then to translate them to song and recording is the cutting edge of the evolution of music. I pedal on to 50th St. South going east now on the Minnehaha Blvd. bike path going toward Lake Nokomis. The path winds in and out of the balsam, cottonwood and maples that dominate this nature area. It’s beautiful and cool under the canopy of green and the lilacs sing hush, some still sleep. It’s lush and thrives with life and movement of its own and the guitar flute combination sets me to dreaming of another time. The song Rosebud begins in the earphones of the little aquamarine I-pod technology that is hustling me into the new millennium. I am swept away in a mixture of awe and disgust. Awe for the miracle that reveals itself in my footsteps every day. Disgust for the dirty, smelly, lewd city of Minneapolis and mouth wash parties under bridges at night. I am reminded of the sun dance that I attended on the Rosebud. I assumed the position of fire keeper and keeping the campfire going. Gathering wood, firing kindling to get it going, putting a pot of coffee on. How powerful was that? Incredible! I have never seen nor will I ever see again anything as powerful as that. It changed my life. Michael Joseph’s musical statement comes across with earthen heart and soul. “Music for the sake of music.” Michael’s Song Sparrow makes me feel like an eagle. I’m riding high now and I’m headed east into the sun.

MPMFestival, Kaldi's, World/Roots

...Ulery states that his music is an "effort of combined and varied musical influences ... not meant to represent any one particular culture or medium." Indeed, the hypnotic instrumental album O-Glepi is a mélange of styles, with Spanish guitar flutters, Appalachian roots and, most prominently, Native American flute work. The end result makes for a tranquil listen, like New Age music with a pure, organic appeal.
~Music to take candle-lit bubble baths to. (MB)

The Indie Review
Michael Joseph: A Swim in the Deep End

The “dumbing down” of worldly music has aided in the creation of baseless ideas and/or contents that portray, perhaps, a random scattering of emotions. It’s a win-lose situation: On the one hand, the music’s simplicity and shallowness allows the “toddlers” to swim with both the big kids and adults alike. Tragically, on the other end of the spectrum, we’re left with “grown-up” music fans barely getting their feet wet, wading in music’s hypothetical kiddies pool—offerings that feel no deeper than a bird bath to the more-so refined crowd. By the grace of a guitarist/composer named Michael Joseph and his 2005 release O-Glepi, the aforementioned patrons are given the go ahead to dive in: It’ time for Adult Swim!

With O-Glepi, Michael Joseph (Ulery) reaches beyond typical cultural boundaries, as he spans and weaves from classic guitar work to the classical Spanish plucking style to heavy Native American overtones. The Native American vibe is often carried entirely by the variations of flutes on offer, which he so effortlessly masters throughout the disc. As he states, the album is not to be categorized into one genre or culture-specific medium. Rather, as he puts it: “…it is a product of various musical and cultural influences. Music for the sake of music…”

Titled O-Glepi: Songs for the Native American Flute and Guitar, the composition begins with “Ancestors Song,” arguably a tribute to Ulery’s cultural heritage and its accompanying influences. The song wastes no time in introducing the listener to the album’s two most prominent instruments, acoustic guitar and the almighty flute. O-Glepi is a journey into the deep roots of the artist, both instrumentally and emotionally. All instrumentation is earthly—in a way that the cellophane wrapper smells of both peyote and traditional American comfort food (or may as well anyway).

It’s anything but surprising when the Native chants seem to exist well after they actually appear in the recording. As it seems, so much of what occurs is implied rather than actually recorded to disc. We hear what we want to hear, because we think it needs to be there; it feel like it shouldn’t actually be audible for the masses. Reason for this being: The listener is summoned into the music. Thus, we’re able to give our own input, and rather than being forced into participation—for those moments we don’t care to be—Joseph instead allows us to simply opt for soothing, and perhaps transcending, background music if we wish.

Michael Joseph’s O-Glepi is an inspiring listen. And it’s a great bet to satisfy anyone anxious (and daring enough) to swim in the deep end.

Acoustic Magazine, UK
In his sleeve notes, Michael Joseph Ulery informs that this recording "is an effort of combined and varied musical influences" and that this album is "music for the sake of music". What the artist does not state however is how tranquil and absorbing his music is. I defy anyone to feel stressed while listening to this tender, yet simple album. Heavily influenced by his roots, Ulery has created a charming work that flows serenely with gently strummed chords and authentic native flute playing. The term itself O-Glepi is the Lakota word for "shadows" and serves to further reinforce the organic and earthy feel of this album. The album benefits from what can best be described as a naked honesty and humility. For a genuine and satisfying taste of what a campfire on the Plains underneath a clear, starfilled sky must feel like, try O-Glepi- you won't be disappointed.
April /May issue

Return of the Native to North America

There is an echoing sadness and an appealing beauty to Michael Joseph’s music. His album O-Glepi subtitled Songs for Native American Flute and Guitar is a testament that ancient themes can materialize into a modern world and still bring peace and comfort to troubled spirits.

From the northern hemisphere to the south, music has always been an essential part of Native American life and Joseph’s music is no small contribution to that tradition. He uses guitar, flute and natural percussion to celebrate the power that music has, to honor the Great Spirit, and to rejoice in everyday life. His style is folksy, yet respectful of his roots. The CD is organic; that is to say it wasn’t a studio perfect recording. Instead, I think it represents a true portrait of a man enjoying and creating music for the love of the experience. There might be a few unscheduled time changes and a few drum beats a little different from the others, but that is what made the whole album earthier and more authentic.

A tune ten years in the making, Ancestor Song opens the album with a soft, trilling flute lead and a warm rhythm guitar. Influenced by his Pan American roots and the songs of his grandfathers, Michael offers a tranquil homage to the past.

The simply titled Traditional is a solo flute piece played on a hand-crafted 5-hole flute. It is a soft, crooning melody that reminds us of echoing mountains, clear rushing streams and the vastness of the open plains. It is a very soothing piece that represents Joseph’s best effort.

Red on White is just about my favorite on O-Glepi. It sounds as if the wind has become real and it plays a number of echoing flutes to commemorate the tragedies of the Lakota. Like many cultures that inhabit the Americas, they were punished for their beliefs and a tenacious hold on their way of life. In particular the Ghost Dance, a dance that promised a return to plentiful food and much cherished freedom turned out to be a catalyst that incurred the wrath of the white man.

Anpo’wie is a very traditional sounding tune that honors the power of the stars. It seems that on every continent countless numbers of wayfarers used the light of the stars for direction and as a strong basis for their beliefs. The Lakota believe that what occurs in the stars is mirrored on earth.

Contemporary is another flute solo that is melancholy, yet reflects the nature of man today. Hopeful describes it best and reverent to the beliefs that some day it will be as it was. Sparrow brings out the down-to-earth composer and guitarist in Michael as he does a bit of magic and turns a tiny bird into a soaring eagle. It is the sound of a light hearted spirit that loves freedom.

O-Glepi is Lakota for shadow. It is a perfect title for music that profiles the harsh, yet honorable life that the Plains peoples embraced. Even today there is no stronger example of tradition that that of the Native American people. Michael Joseph has put history to music and he has done it well.

Featuring the warm, melting tone of Native American cedar flute, supported and anchored by mellow, acoustic guitar and soft drumming, "O-Glepi" by Michael Joseph fuses folk styles from rock to folk blues with indigenous music and a calm but directed new age approach regarding accessibility. Similar in ways to the Carlos Nakai and Peter Kater collaborations, Joseph's work is always grounded and earthy, easy to digest and relax to. A very fine album.

Michael Joseph - O-Glepi 5.0 stars

The music on this album is hauntingly beautiful and sad at the same time. Sometimes you can hear the cries of the Native American people in his music. Track #4 Traditional (flute solo on hand made 5 hole) is simply beautiful. There is no doubt Michael has perfected his craft it shows on every song. There are also influences from other cultures, like the Spanish influenced Red on White (blood on snow) that again is simply a beautiful song. I hope, just like Michael, that everyone will be able to enjoy this CD. It is truly worth your time to sit down and listen to the beauty of music.

Ok, Rock and Roll is my life. I'm not ashamed to say it; my love of music has dominated my life in ways that I wouldn't have dreamed of when I was younger. And yet it has always fed my soul and enriched my life beyond measure; just the right album will do that for you. O-Glepi, by Michael Joseph (Ulery) is such an album.

This is a record of instrumentals that showcase Joseph's exceptional compositional and playing skills, and his Native American background. With the haunting washes of flute that define this music, one is tempted to label it "new age" but Joseph's former life as a punk rocker cancels out any hints of bloodlessness associated with "new age" music.

There is a feeling of spiritual calm that runs through many of these tracks: "Ancestors Song", "Mojave Lullaby", "Anpo'we", "Redrock" and "Contemporary" all evoke a sense of peace, grace and beauty that gives one a feeling of hope.

All the material here showcases Joseph's masterful guitar skillz, and often recall his previous punk rocker roots, especially on "Gourdhead", "Red On White (Blood On Snow)" (wonderful mandolin work there), "Sequoia Boogie" and "Time With You". Not a note out of place or a moment wasted; music for the heart and the head.

Joseph ends things on up note with the soaring (no pun intended) "Sparrow" which will leave you glowing feeling long after it's done. O-Glepi is nectar from the gods that should be sipped and savored--allow it to feed your soul.

MICHAEL JOSEPH: O-GLEPI (self-released)
There's something charming about the music of guitarist/songwriter Michael Joseph Ulery. His promotional material emphasizes his mixed heritage, not just his Native American roots, and his mixed musical background (rock/punk/jazz/blues/classical/bluegrass). And his acoustic music reflects the mind of someone being who he is, not some marketing ideal. O-Glepi begins with folky acoustic guitar chords under a Native flute melody called "Ancestors Song." Then a hit of acoustic blues guitar with flute on "Gourdhead." The flutes mesh well with the guitar, and are featured on two solo tracks. Michael Joseph shows off his own licks on the multitracked "Red on White (Blood on Snow)." He's clear about his music, saying "It is not meant to represent any one particular culture...like the artist...it is a product of various musical and cultural influences." Humble and refreshing, O-Glepi is a sweet taste of contemporary acoustic music with Native (and other) roots.

On "Sequoia Boogie"...
"If this song was a painting, it would be a group of people having a good time. The sweet melody burtsting...the fusion is great!

O-glepi a true work that reaches the spirit in all...

Need a break from the loudness of life? Michael Joseph's sophisticated and earthy guitar and Native American flute stylings will transport you to a different place and time. Michael's music will gently touch your soul and your yearnings for simplicity. A great gift, too, for friends who seek the pure sounds that honor culture, our world and the goodness life has to offer.
5 Stars!

The flute music is haunting and evocative, inviting serene transcendence. The combination of guitar, drum and flute yields sensuous, lyrical, rich music. The fluttering echoes and natural rhythms are ethereal and at the same time earthy, leaving me with a melancholy longing for a past existence in simpler times.