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Peter Rowan and his Bluegrass Band have been in the Compass Records studio finishing up tracks for their first band project Legacy,  and is scheduled for release in August.

Produced by Compass co-founder Alison Brown, the album captures the raw bluegrass energy of this veteran outfit which includes Jody Stecher, Keith Little, and Paul Knight. Legacy features many songs from the band’s live show such as the grassy Jailer Jailer and the haunting The Raven.

Del McCoury and Ricky Skaggs are guests on the brand new hymn God’s Own Child. The CD also features Gillian Welch and Dave Rawlings.

Alison Brown to produce new album.

Compass Records has announced that they signed of Peter Rowan, the famed bluegrass singer-songwriter, Grammy Award winner and five-time Grammy Award nominee to their growing list of award winning artists.

Work will soon begin on a new release from the Peter Rowan Bluegrass Band to be produced by Alison Brown, Grammy Award-winning banjoist and Compass Records co-founder.

Rowan’s career has spanned over five decades, from his early years playing under bluegrass patriarch Bill Monroe, to his ground-breaking stint with Jerry Garcia in the band Old & In the Way and his subsequent breakout as both a solo performer and band leader.

Through his continuous stream of original recordings, collaborative projects and constant touring, he has a devoted international fanbase, including Compass Records’ co-founders Alison Brown & Garry West.

I can’t think of another person in bluegrass with such a varied history: Bill Monroe and the Bluegrass Boys, Seatrain, Old & In the Way, not to mention the breadth of the solo material he’s written and recorded. We’re excited to have Peter as part of the Compass family, and with this new record I’m really excited to be working with Peter to shine a light on his bluegrass roots - Alison Brown.

The Peter Rowan Bluegrass Band includes Rowan (guitar, vocals), Keith Little (banjo, vocals), Paul Knight (bass, vocals) and Jody Stecher (mandolin, vocals).

A small but very appreciative crowd ventured out on a damp Wednesday night, to The Old Museum Concert Hall in Brisbane. This beautiful old building rang with the fabulous vocal harmonies of The Redlands Bluegrass Boys, who kicked off the concert, treating the crowd to some new songs Rain and Snow, Where I Come From and Dim Lights, Thick Smoke as well as songs from their self titled CD.

I think it would be fair to say,  most of the concert goers were already Peter Rowan fans, but without exception they left the venue even bigger admirers of Mr Rowan. He had us all spellbound with his amazing story telling ability, not only the wonderful stories between songs but the stories told in the songs themselves.

In his distinctive and familiar tenor voice he treated us to some of his hit songs, Panama Red, Moonlight Midnight and Land of the Navajo. Accompanied only by his fabulous guitar playing, Peter knows how to hold an audience.

If you have a chance to see this legend and his music, you won’t be sorry.
Posted by Sue Dwyer

Peter Rowan to Play WA’s Fly By Night Club

Bluegrass Parkway will be appearing with Peter Rowan at Fremantle’s famous Fly By Night Club on 18th March.

The Fly By Night Club has seen the beginnings of some of WA’s biggest bands including the John Butler Trio, The Waifs, Eskimo Joe, The Flairz, The Panics plus many more who have started off their careers at the club.

Bluegrass Parkway’s Paul Duff said The audience can expect a huge night of great bluegrass music including much of Rowan’s own material that has ascended to the classic bluegrass genre.  ‘Midnight Moonlight’, ‘Walls Of Time’ (co-written with Monroe), ‘Panama Red’ and ‘Land Of The Navajo’ are recognisable to thousands of bluegrass musicians and fans throughout the world. Peter was lead singer in Bill Monroe’s Bluegrass Boys in the 60s and he really learned his craft in those early days. He’s a Grammy Award winner and has been nominated five times.

Paul advises that tickets for the Fremantle gig are available fromThe Fly By Night Club Website.

Rowan is now scheduled to play in a number of venues across Australia, taking him to Queensland, Victoria and Western Australia.

Peter Rowan’s Tour dates:
Qld – The Old Brisbane Museum – 11th March 09
WA – Fly By Night Club – 18th Mar 09
Vic – Brunswick Music Festival – 20 March 09

Peter Rowan is scheduled to play a number of gigs in Australia this year not the least of which will be at The Old Brisbane Museum Concert Hall on 11 March 2009.

Peter Rowan was one of the major cult bluegrass artists of the ’80s. Born in Boston, Massachusetts Rowan grew up surrounded by music of his parents and a great number of relatives.

Rowan formed the Tex-Mex band the Cupids during his time at high school. After college, he decided to become a professional musician. In 1964, after performing with Jim Rooney and Bill Keith, Rowan became a rhythm guitarist and lead singer with Bill Monroe and his Blue Grass Boys. He remained with them through 1967, leaving to join mandolinist David Grisman in the folk-rock band Earth Opera.

Additional Information – Concert details and Tickets

Peter Rowan is scheduled to play the Brunswick Music Festival on 20th March 2009.

Peter Rowan has been one of the most influential singers and songwriters in contemporary bluegrass for over four decades. A musical experimenter, he has blurred the boundaries between old-time country, folk, reggae, blues and rock styles, and has even received some notoriety recently on the jam band circuit. Peter has played with everyone from Bill Monroe to Jerry Garcia, and his recent collaboration with guitarist Tony Rice has brought him renewed critical acclaim.

Our international Roots component for 2009 comprises of all first time visitors to the Festival, and is headed up by Bluegrass and Americana legend Peter Rowan. Direct from Louisiana The Red Stick Ramblers, purveyors of all things Louisiana-Cajun, Zydeco, and hot New Orleans rhythms and from Canada the fabulous Old Man Luedecke, a young and totally original contemporary singer songwriter and frailing banjo player on his first tour of Australia. Festival Director John McAuslan

Brunswick Music Festival - 12 to 22 March 2009