Bryan Bowers is an American autoharp player who is frequently credited with introducing the instrument to new generations of musicians.[1]
Career
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Bowers became very popular with the audience of the comedy radio program The Dr. Demento Show with his 1980 recording of Mike Cross's song "The Scotsman".[2] In 1993, Bowers was inducted into the Autoharp Hall of Fame whose membership includes Mother Maybelle Carter, Kilby Snow, and Sara Carter.[3]
In two consecutive years, 2006 and 2007, he released new recordings: Bristlecone Pine and September in Alaska. "Although such guests as Tim O'Brien, Sam Bush, Stuart Duncan, and Enright and O'Bryant play and sing on a number of cuts, this is a Bryan Bowers disc all the way, with his exquisite autoharp flavoring many of the tunes," wrote a November 2006 Bluegrass Unlimited reviewer of Bristlecone Pine. "Bowers selects thematically diverse and lyrically strong material. There are powerful love songs ("When You And I Were True" and "Magnolia") and non-cloying meditations on life and death ("Bristlecone Pine," "Friend For Life," and "When I Go"), as well as haunting instrumentals. He nicely avoids the hackneyed stuff of so many folk/bluegrass/country performers."[4] He maintains an active performance and teaching schedule.
Awards
editSelect discography
edit- The View from Home, Flying Fish, 1977
- Home, Home on the Road, Flying Fish, 1980
- By Heart, Flying Fish, 1982
- For You, Flying Fish, 1990
- Friend for Life, Flying Fish, 2002
- Bristlecone Pine, Seattle Sounds, 2006
- September in Alaska, Seattle Sounds, 2007
- Crabby Old Man, 2011
- Live at Winterfolk, 2015
- Woodland Dream, 2019
References
edit- ^ "Bluegrass Unlimited - Bluegrass Unlimited content". Archived from the original on 13 December 2019. Retrieved 14 March 2017.
- ^ "details for The Scotsman - Bryan Bowers". Retrieved 14 March 2017.
- ^ Autoharp Hall of Fame Inductees Archived July 24, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Bluegrass Unlimited - Bluegrass Unlimited content". Retrieved 14 March 2017.
- ^ California Autoharp Gathering Archived May 11, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Bryan Bowers - Master Autoharpist, Storyteller, singer/songwriter/performing artist Archived May 13, 2008, at the Wayback Machine