An Evening With Peter Rowan

http://www.peter-rowan.com/

PETER ROWAN

A chameleon of musical genres, Peter Rowan's original songwriting is the driving force of his musical diversity. One engaging musician. Multiple choices.

Peter Rowan
Grammy-award winner and six-time Grammy nominee, Peter Rowan is a singer-songwriter with a career spanning over five decades. From his early years playing under the tutelage of Bluegrass veteran Bill Monroe, to his time in Old & In the Way and breakout as a solo musician and bandleader, Rowan has built a devoted, international fan base through a solid stream of records, collaborative projects, and constant touring.

Born in Wayland, Massachusetts to a musical family, Rowan learned to play guitar from his uncle. He spent his teenage years absorbing the sights and sounds of the Hillbilly Ranch, a legendary Country music nightclub in Boston frequented by bluegrass acts like The Lilly Brothers and fiddler Tex Logan. In 1956 Peter Rowan formed his first band, the Cupids, while still in high school.

Following three years in college, Rowan left academia and decided to pursue a life in music. Rowan began his professional career in 1963 as the singer, rhythm guitarist and songwriter for the Bluegrass Boys, led by the founding father of bluegrass, Bill Monroe. "One thing I started to like about the Monroe style was that there was a lot more blues in it than other styles of bluegrass," reflects Rowan. "It was darker. It had more of an edge to it. And yet it still had the ballad tradition in it, and I loved that."

The late '60s and early 70's saw Rowan involved in a number of rock, folk and bluegrass projects, including Earth Opera, Sea Train, Muleskinner, and the Rowans, where he played alongside brothers Chris and Lorin Rowan. After the Rowan Brothers disbanded, Rowan, David Grisman, Jerry Garcia, Vassar Clements and John Kahn formed a bluegrass band christened Old & In the Way. It was during this incarnation that Rowan penned the song "Panama Red," a subsequent hit for the New Riders of the Purple Sage and a classic ever since.

Rowan subsequently embarked on a well-received solo career in the late '70s, releasing critically acclaimed records such as Dustbowl Children (a Woody-Guthrie style song cycle about the Great Depression), Yonder (a record of old-time country music in collaboration with ace dobro player, Jerry Douglas) and two extraordinarily fine bluegrass albums, The First Whippoorwill and Bluegrass Boy, as well as High Lonesome Cowboy, a recording of traditional and old-time mountain music with Don Edwards and Norman Blake. Rowan's recent releases- Quartet, a recording with the phenomenal Tony Rice and Legacy with the Peter Rowan Bluegrass Band, coupled with a relentless touring schedule have further endeared Peter Rowan to audiences around the world.

On the road, Rowan performs internationally as a solo singer-songwriter, while stateside he plays in three bands: the Peter Rowan Bluegrass Band, a quartet featuring Keith Little, Mike Witcher and Paul Knight; Big Twang Theory and its Texas Cousin Twang n Groove and rock band The Free Mexican Air Force.

Following on the heels of the celebrated album "Crucial Country: Live at Telluride" Peter recorded his second album for Compass entitled "Old School" with memorable new songs such as "Doc Watson Morning" , "Drop The Bone" and "Keepin' It Between The Lines (Old School)" with members of the current Bluegrass Band plus Chris Henry, Michael Cleveland, Bryan Sutton, Ronnie, Robbie and Del McCoury and more.

Peter Rowan Bluegrass Band
Peter Rowan's bluegrass career started as a Blue Grass Boy in 1964. By Bill Monroe's own admission, Peter sounded a lot like him. When the two harmonized together, they were said to have reached "heavenly heights." Monroe & Rowan co-wrote what has already become a bluegrass standard, Walls Of Time. Peter's touring bluegrass band consists of outstanding players Keith Little, banjo; Paul Knight, bass; and Mike Witcher, dobro. The band features original songs written by Rowan along with Carter Family and Bill Monroe favorites. This is a winning combination for an audience that knows and loves this music!

Peter Rowan's Big Twang Theory
Peter Rowan's newest musical configuration, Big Twang Theory, grew from his new songs and musical collaborations with dobroist Michael Witcher and bassist Paul Knight, both members of the current Peter Rowan Bluegrass Band, electric guitarist Nina Gerber and Peter's son, guitarist-singer Michael Carter Rowan (Chartz). Drummers Larry Attamanuik (Alison Krauss, Emmy Lou Harris) Ken Owen (Ten Gallon Cats) and banjo player, Jeff Mosier (Mosier Bros, Blueground Undergrass) also appear with Peter Rowan's Big Twang Theory when their schedule permits. Says Rowan, "I have always wanted a band that was rooted in bluegrass, but could add the twang of Hank Williams, Carl Perkins and Buddy Holly. They all absorbed Bill Monroe's bluegrass into honky-tonk and rockabilly. I grew up dancing to that music."

Peter Rowan's Twang an' Groove
Comprised of Peter Rowan (electric guitar and vocals) guitarist Carter Arrington, Darrell Commander on piano, bassist Mike Morgan and drummer extraordinaire Jamie Oldaker, Twang n' Groove is where Rhythm and Blues meets Reggae at an all day Bluegrass pickin' party.

Peter Rowan & Crucial Reggae
Peter Rowan's diversity and sensitivity shine through in this jammin' reggae configuration. Some of Peter's most soulful original music comes from these performances. Reggae greats Tony Chin; guitar and Fully Fullwood; bass, when available, add to the excitement of a Crucial Reggae performance. Buyers have the option here of presenting either a five- or six-piece band, or the nine-piece band with the Burning Spear horn section. Whatever the configuration, the audience that hears this concert will dance into the night!

The Free Mexican Airforce
The Free Mexican Airforce is flying again! This is a four-piece band that often features Cindy Cashdollar on pedal steel guitar, in addition to bass and drums. This is Peter Rowan plugged in and includes some of his most loved songs--Come Back to Old Santa Fe, Ride the Wild Mustang, Midnight Moonlight and, of course, Free Mexican Airforce