"Refreshing" is the word most often used to describe the music of WIND. WIND actually consists of Nori & Barbie Kelley (currently residing in Kawasaki, Japan), and whoever happens to be playing with them at the time. Being songwiters as well as musicians, they have a wealth of original material between them. Their concerts showcase both their songwriting and musical abilities, with Barbie singing, playing flute, percussion & acoustic guitar, and Nori singing and playing electric and acoustic guitars & lap steel. Married since 1993, Nori and Barbie also own and operate The Studio, a digital multi-track project studio, where they record local artists and teach guitar, flute & dance. They're also listed in the Encyclopedia Of Contemporary Christian Music, published in 2003.
Born in Japan, but raised in Alabama from age 9, Nori has been a session musician since 1979. He has recorded or performed with Jon Anderson (Yes), Dave Hope (Kansas), the Chi-Lites & The Couriers (w/ Michael English), among many others. CCM magazine once compared his guitar playing to both Mark Knopfler and Phil Keaggy. Nori has two projects released internationally by Mel Bay, "Basic Guitar Strumming & Fingerpicking" and "Modern Guitar Method Grade 1 Pop Version CD," both of which are best sellers. Barbie hails from the Wilmington, Delaware area and comes from a large, musicial family. She has been playing the flute since age 9, and plays percussion and guitar as well. She has played & sung on many recording sessions. Her voice has a pleasant, almost Celtic-like quality, and has been compared by some to Natalie Merchant. Audiences love her flute playing, and WINDs flute and guitar combination achieves some nice results.
WINDs style of music is an original mixture of rock and folk, drawing from British artists like Al Stewart, Yes, Pink Floyd, Mark Knopfler, etc., as well as North American artists like Bruce Cockburn, Kansas, The Allman Bros. & 10,000 Maniacs.
Their seventh full length album, "Storm" (2008), is an eclectic mixture of different rock styles, from pop to progressive rock to folk. With 15 songs and clocking in at over 74 minutes, it's their most ambitious work to date. Their previous album, "Wa" (2006), is an unusual project in that the songs are sung in both English and Japanese, with guest vocals from several Japanese artists. Nori has also produced and engineered five albums in Japan (Vineyard Worship, Vol. 1 - 5), which have turned out to be the biggest selling worship CDs in that country. He also produced one in Siberia in 1998. WIND has taken their music all over the world, playing in Japan, Siberia, Ireland, Mexico and all over the U.S.
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