Biography
Lisa Carpenter grew up in Kirkland, Washington, close to Seattle. She first took up drumming at age 14, and by her senior year of high school she was already earning paychecks performing in rock bands. After appearing with several regional outfits, she relocated to Memphis to advance her recording work. There she came across the hammer dulcimer and simultaneously deepened her connection to her Cree heritage. Those two experiences led her to settle in Mount Shasta, California, where she adopted the name Gentle Thunder to mark the shift in her life. She spent seven years performing with the Japanese drum ensemble Shasta Taiko, and in 1998 she issued her solo debut, Awakening Remembrance, which spotlighted her dulcimer playing.
Gentle Thunder’s 2004 release Winds of the Heart featured her on Native American flute. While attending a Montana conference devoted to the instrument, she was invited to open for one of her key inspirations, the R. Carlos Nakai Quartet. Percussionist Will Clipman and pianist, saxophonist, and bassist AmoChip Dabney were so taken by her set that the three musicians soon entered the studio together. Their collaboration yielded the 2006 album Beyond Words, which brought the trio a Grammy nomination for Best New Age Album.
Gentle Thunder’s 2004 release Winds of the Heart featured her on Native American flute. While attending a Montana conference devoted to the instrument, she was invited to open for one of her key inspirations, the R. Carlos Nakai Quartet. Percussionist Will Clipman and pianist, saxophonist, and bassist AmoChip Dabney were so taken by her set that the three musicians soon entered the studio together. Their collaboration yielded the 2006 album Beyond Words, which brought the trio a Grammy nomination for Best New Age Album.
Albums
