Local duo Crazy Flute earns Native American Music Award nomination

Jack “Flute” Holland doesn’t like to be told what to do, how to do it, when to do it, what he should think or act like or how he should feel.

He never has, and he’s not likely to change anytime soon. With long black hair, plenty of body ink and facial hair, he’s also a friendly, self-aware guy with a quick smile and a self-deprecating sense of humor.

He didn’t always embrace his American Indian heritage. In fact, he rejected it, which in a roundabout way helps explain how he learned to play the flute well enough to have earned a nomination this year for a Native American Music Award for Best Debut Duo/Group of the Year.

He and bandmate Keith Talley, both 45, met in high school and call themselves Crazy Flute. While their CD, “Echoes From the Mountain,” was recorded locally, it’s hardly a straight line from their meeting almost 40 years ago to here.

Keith Talley, left, and Jack “Flute” Holland have been friends since meeting at Dade County High School. Their first CD recording, “Echoes From the Mountain,” has been nominated for a Native American Music Award.