Our Music

Big Blue Sky has recorded several CDs over the past few years. Some are currently available at any of our scheduled events or you may order downloadable CDs.

DREAMER IN THE SAGE / 2021

Includes DRIFTLESS DREAM, a tune about time, about being on the river, and about friendship; this was originally written around 2003 or so and recently revised. I love Folko’s work on the 12-string acoustic.
"This music is a sanctuary of soul-thought and the deep affection of the earth - it has the strength of the ancients, the wisdom of the wind, the colors of the ultimate rainbow and the true nurturing that we all sorely need" - Denny Garcia, Midwest Music Makers
RIVER DREAMS / 2018

Includes Water Song - lyrics by Sophia Landis, with a little assistance from Jon-Jon and Hawk. This is a sacred song and everyone in our society needs to take the message of this tune to heart, especially in Iowa where agriculture and hog production have taken a huge toll on water quality.
EARTH SONGS / 2015

Recorded live at Elkader Opera House / October 27, 2012 by Iowa Public Radio. All proceeds from the sale of this CD go towards Driftless Area Bird Conservation.
"I believe that Imagination is stronger than Knowledge. That Myth is more potent than Reality. That Dreams are more powerful than Facts. That Hope always triumphs over Experience. That Laughter is the only cure for Grief. And I believe that Love is stronger than Death" - Robert Fulgham
BIRD DANCE / 2011

Dancing the Dream Awake - Dedicated to the memory and the music of Jon-Jon Stravers
"I gave him a guitar when he was young. Eventually, he helped me create the beginnings of this wonderful Big Blue Sky experience, which includes a wide-ranging collection of remarkable people, beautiful locations, and profound experiences. Jon-Jon wrote and sang two of the tunes on this recording - he co-wrote or contributed lyrics and ideas to three other tunes - and four of these tunes were written for or about him." Jon Stravers, Sr.
DRIFTLESS GROOVE / 2008

Music to Benefit The River - Proceeds from the sale of this CD go to Audubon's Mississippi River Initiative / Iowa's Rivers Revival.
Recorded live at The Elkader Opera House - October 25, 2008.
SEARCHING FOR THE COSMIC GROOVE / 2008

With the Moonbow Tribe
Big Blue Sky started as a father-son duo in the mid 1990's by Jon Stravers, Sr. and Jr. In their music, they seek and celebrate a closer connection to the planet. Their musical writing comes from the inspiration of wild places and a celebration of our natural heritage. This inclusive musical effort has expanded to recent years to include 40 different musicians from ten different states who have recorded with or apeared as part of Big Blue Sky (as the band is known in the Midwest) and the Moonbow Tribe (as they are known in Idaho and New Mexico)
Jon Stravers Sr. lives and works on the Mississippi River near McGregor, Iowa as a river conservationist, bird researcher, educator, and song writer.
Jon Stravers Jr. lived in Boise, Idaho, and was involved in a variety of musical efforts including teaching and performing all types of music including guitar, mandolin, Native American Flute, marimba, harmonica, piano and percussion. He was the musical director of the Children's Dance Institute. Jon and his son, Jonah, were killed in an automobile accident on September 2, 2007.
LIVE AT THE ELKADER OPERA HOUSE / 2006

Recorded October 14, 2006, as a benefit for the Motor Mill Foundation. Motor Mill has been a Clayton County landmark since German stonemasons built the six story, limestone structure beside the Turkey River in 1867-69. Although it operated for less than two decades, the mill and four associated stone buildings were maintained as part of private farming operations. The scenic site now helps tell the story of agriculture and the European settlement of northeastern Iowa. The Clayton County Conservation Board and the Motor Mill Foundation are working to restore and interpret the historic and natural area.
RIVER'S RISING / 2001

In a certain sense, Big Blue Sky is a father-son project. But Big Blue Sky also includes several musicians scattered around the country who seek a closer connection to the planet and to the cosmos. Most of us are involved in research and monitoring of raptors and other birds. This research often points toward the importance of diversity in the ecosystem and the way the rhythms of the earth are connected to all living things on the planet. Our work has allowed us to interact with all kinds of people and environments that have inspired these songs of love and migration; it has taken us to wild and remote habitats along rivers and mountains where many of these songs are written. However, we believe the secrets of the earth are always right in front of our face no matter where we are. This CD is about discovering and celebrating that connection.

At the time we recorded "River's Rising" in April of 2001, the Mississippi River near McGregor, Iowa (where we lived) reached its second highest level since flood waters have been recorded.

O T H E R R E C O R D I N G S A V A I L A B L E . . .
MYSTIC MIGRATION / 2004
LIVE AT KUNI / 2006
BEING BORN / 2006
SUN JA AND THE MOONBOW TRIBE / DE NA ZIN / 2006

Our Music

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