Peter Rowan: Americana Master Series, The Best Of The Sugar Hill Years

The Telluride Bluegrass Festival of 2006 produced my favorite Peter Rowan memory, though he was nowhere to be seen. I’d taken a break from the crowd and was listening to Rowan perform with Tony Rice’s band from our campsite a half mile away, where, thanks to our location and the clean mountain air, it sounded perfect. And when Rowan’s voice began arching its way through “Walls of Time,” the song filled the gargantuan valley as if it were emanating from the billion year old rocks themselves. It seemed like a song the mountains would sing, a timeless and unforgettable marriage of music and earth.

On this Americana Masters collection, you can hear Rowan’s recorded version of the song, cut as the title track of his Sugar Hill Records debut in 1988. His vocal partner, Ricky Skaggs, recorded his own version of “Walls of Time” nearly 20 years later, producing one of the great modern-era bluegrass sides. It’s a certifiable classic, and if Rowan’s only claim to fame was having co-written it with Bill Monroe, we’d have to take notice of this man. But there is much more to Rowan’s 40-year career than one song. He may be the most authentic bridge between Monroe’s austere and seminal form of bluegrass and the exploratory restlessness of newgrass. He’s a progressive purist and a pure progressive, a searching but rooted artist whose peers include John Hartford and Earl Scruggs. Flamboyant and always exciting, he can follow any act in acoustic music and leave a happy audience happier than he found them.

Click here to read more.

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Some Pretty Smart Tunes
PortFolio Weekly
July 17, 2007
by Jim Newsom

Peter Rowan called me at 9:30 the night before the Fourth of July from his cousin's house near Cape Cod.

"I'm watching the fireworks across Buzzards Bay," he said, "the grand finale of the fireworks at Marion. It's been a wild three-week run and I've got a couple of days off over my birthday."   To read the entire article click here
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Bluegrass Unlimited: Peter Rowan & Tony Rice Quartet
June 2007


You have only to listen to the first few measures of "Dust Bowl Children", the soulful Peter Rowan original that opens "Quartet", to realize this is one super-charged bluegrass/acoustic ensemble that clicks on all cylinders and then some.

Most listeners are already familiar with Rowan's soulful tenor voice and Rice's dazzling, fluid, and dexterous flattop guitar virtuosity. But, Rice and Rowan meet their match with acoustic base player Bryn Davies. Click here to read entire article.

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Tony Rice, Peter Rowan coming to LCHS Saturday

Lincoln County may be one of the most rural counties in all of West Virginia, but that hasn't stopped some of the legends of the music world from visiting. In the last few months the Lincoln County Friends of the Arts Concert Series has brought in great performers such as Dr. Ralph Stanley, Blue Highway, Kathy Mattea, and Loretta Lynn.

This Saturday night, two more music legends will appear in concert in Hamlin when the Peter Rowan - Tony Rice Quartet takes the stage. The concert will be at the Lincoln County High School auditorium, and the show will start at 8 p.m. For more information on tickets, call 304-756-2585.

The Peter Rowan - Tony Rice Quartet have a new CD out on Rounder Records simply called Quartet. Rounding out the band is mandolin player Sharon Gilchrist, and in the last few weeks the band has been auditioning new bass players to take the place of Bryn Davies, who is now touring with Patty Griffin. Click here to read more of the article.

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Goings On About Town
Night Life
March 19, 2007 The New Yorker

ROCK AND POP

Musicians and night-club proprietors live complicated lives; it’s advisable to call ahead to confirm engagements.

B. B. KING BLUES CLUB & GRILL

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NO DEPRESSION
January/February 2007

Peter Rowan & Tony Rice Quartet (Rounder)

Acoustic guitar god Tony Rice and bluegrass vocal stylist Peter Rowan teamed with mandolinist Sharon Gilchrist and bassist Bryn Davies - Rowan's longtime touring partner- to create an album that sounds at once ancient and timeless.

Contemporary material from Patti Smith ("Trespasses") and Townes Van Zandt ("To Live is To Fly") blends seemlessly with standards such as "Shady Grove", "Sunny Side of The Mountain" and "Cold Rain And Snow".  The group also explores several classic Rowan originals, including "Walls of Time", "Moonlight Midnight" and "Let The Harvest Go to Seed".  "Perfection", a newer, uptempo gospel number, exemplifies a spiritual quality that runs throughout the record.

Each member of the quartet makes a unique contribution to the fabric of this project.  Rice's fluid playing is the perfect complement to Rowan's earnest falsetto.  But it's the brilliant harmonies and understated instrumental flourishes of Gilchrist and Davies that make this a truly cohesive work. - David Baxter.

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Rounder Records
MARCH 6, 2007

THE PETER ROWAN AND TONY RICE QUARTET ANNOUNCES NEW TOUR DATES AS QUARTET GAINS MOMENTUM ON BLUEGRASS AND AMERICANA RADIO CHARTS

Burlington, MA – On March 14, the Peter Rowan and Tony Rice Quartet will kick off a string of tour dates in support of their critically-acclaimed new studio album, Quartet.  Released in January, Quartet showcases music from these two acoustic music legends, supported by Sharon Gilchrist (mandolin, vocals) and Bryn Davies (bass, vocals).   The album is gaining momentum on national radio charts, ranking #3 on Billboard’s Bluegrass chart and #8 on R&R’s Americana chart.  No Depression calls Quartet “a truly cohesive work…brilliant harmonies and understated instrumental flourishes…”  Guitar maverick Tony Rice was recently featured in Performing Songwriter (January/February issue) and will soon be the subject of a cover story in Acoustic Guitar (June issue). Click here to read the rest of the article.

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HONEST AMERICANA: BROMBERG, ROWAN & RICE
Words by: John Waldman
JamBase
David Bromberg with Peter Rowan & Tony Rice
01.11.07 :: Palace of Fine Arts :: San Francisco, CA   

After a short break it was time for Peter Rowan & Tony Rice with sexy Bryn Davies (formerly Bryn Bright) on standup bass and sultry Sharon Gilchrist on mandolin. They were "on" from the start, with a "Panama Red" opener followed by a fan favorite, "Hobo Song." Rowan was having fun, playing off everyone and directing solos. Gilchrist was intense and Davies was all over the place. But, it's Tony Rice who cuts the most dashing figure on stage. With his trademark ponytail, tailored suit, and taciturn expression, he has to be one of the smoothest guitarists of all time. After a particularly nice guitar solo from Rowan, Rice took over and just played rings around everyone - always in control, never flailing or exaggerating, just smooth as silk with a fleeting hint of a smile. They played a couple of instrumental jams that gave everyone room to step out, and a few songs from their new album Quartet, including the haunting "Dust Bowl Children." The only downside to the set was that it was too short, but with an 11:00 p.m. curfew, things needed to move along so that Bromberg had enough time.   Click here for more of the article.

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ROUNDER RECORDS TO RELEASE QUARTET, THE NEW ALBUM FROM ACOUSTIC MUSIC LEGENDS PETER ROWAN & TONY RICE, JANUARY 23
NOVEMBER 2, 2006

“…a musical marriage made in heaven.” – Relix  

Cambridge, MA – On January 23, Rounder Records will proudly release Quartet – the new studio album from Grammy–award winners Peter Rowan and Tony Rice. The highly anticipated follow-up to 2004’s critically-acclaimed You Were There For Me, Quartet marks the recording debut of the road-tested Peter Rowan and Tony Rice Quartet, which finds “two ground-breaking and genre-defying musicians” (Nashville Tennessean) supported by Sharon Gilchrist (mandolin, vocals) and Bryn Davies (bass, vocals). Click here for more.

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Peter Rowan and Tony Rice on 06/01/06

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Rowan & Rice to Appear During IBMA Fanfest
10/25/05
On Saturday, October 29, 2005, Peter Rowan and Tony Rice will perform at Nashville Convention Center in Nashville, TN. Grammy-award winning musicians Rowan and Rice recently recorded their first full-fledged collaborative album You Were There For Me featuring Rowan's sublime vocals on ten of his original compositions. Acoustic guitar virtuoso, Rice provides remarkable instrumental work, which evokes, frames and enhances the emotions of each song. Click here for more.

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June 24, 2005

INTRODUCING PETER ROWAN’S NEW ACOUSTIC TRIO

-- Revered bluegrass and folk legend announces the lineup in his latest musical excursion—

NASHVILLE, TN, June, 2005 — Original songwriter Peter Rowan’s stellar and eclectic career has spanned four decades, with musical exploration continuing to infuse and ignite his very soul. Well known for his mix of musical styles, Rowan’s near constant touring (always accompanied by top-notch musicians) facilitates his penchant to explore music of all genres, from Tex-Mex to old-time country, Celtic, rock & roll, reggae, bluegrass, world, and acoustic folk music.  Click here for more.

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April 25, 2005
PETER ROWAN & TONY RICE QUARTET
ADD SHARON GILCHRIST TO TOURING LINEUP

—Legendary musical icons tour in support of their Rounder Records release, You Were There For Me, with new member Sharon Gilchrist on mandolin—

NASHVILLE, TN, April, 2005 — Two of the most influential musicians in American music recently released their first full-fledged album together on Rounder Records. You Were There For Me is the result of two gifted masters of their craft, Peter Rowan and Tony Rice.  A true duet collection in every sense of the word, it features Rowan’s sublime vocals on ten original compositions, and guitar virtuoso Rice’s characteristically elegant and remarkable instrumental work. Click here for more.

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Peter Rowan Performs Two Sets at Austin's 2005 SXSW Music Festival

Peter Rowan headlines an evening of traditional bluegrass music on March 16th, 2005 at South By Southwest's first-ever Bluegrass Night, co-presented by Rounder Records. Rowan is expected to close the show with a bluegrass jam that will include other artists on the bill. In addition, Rowan is honored with a second headlining appearance at SXSW's progressive bluegrass music showcase on March 17th, 2005.

As a member of Bill Monroe’s Bluegrass Boys and such influential contemporary groups as Old and In the Way, Seatrain, and Muleskinner, Peter Rowan redefined bluegrass for a generation. He continues to do so to this day, whether performing solo, with guitar maverick Tony Rice, or with his Crucial Reggae band.

Now in its 19th year, the South by Southwest Music And Media Conference in Austin, Texas, is a veritable fantasyland for music fans. A potent method to connect with press, radio, and other music industry players, it has become the premier music industry event in the US.

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