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"Steve"
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 Steve Rowe
Master blues guitarist Steve Rowe has earned his solid
reputation from the press as a “Guitar Hero”, and
has
firmly established himself as an original Canadian Bluesman. Montreal
CHOM radio’s Randy Renaud called Rowe a “head-down,
have-guitar-will-travel professional who derives his greatest
satisfaction from songs and notes perfectly delivered”. He
was
right. As is Rowe’s style, every note is deliberate and each
tone
carries meaning.
Rowe is pleased to present his fifth original release entitled Five.
Written with longtime bassist, composer Alec McElcheran, Steve and the
band remain true to the powerful blues sound that leaves plenty of room
to let loose. Five delivers the solid drumming of Sam Harrisson, and
features his uncle, Bob Harrisson, displaying his rarely heard mastery
of brushes. With vocals shared between Steve and Alec, Five brings a
level of artistry and tradition that only comes after years of la vie
en blues.
Steve Rowe's fourth CD, Live à Montréal, earned
him a
spot in the Top 20 CDs of 2006 in Living Blues and Maple Blues
magazines, and was a four-time nominee at the 2007 Quebec Lys Blues
Awards, including Best CD and Best Performer. This recording captured
the raw essence of a highly skilled band recorded straight
off-the-board at the 2005 Montreal International Jazz Festival.
The promotional tour for Steve’s third studio recording,
Front
Rowe Center, featured a nationwide broadcast from the 2005 Ottawa
Bluesfest on Rogers Television, and earned another four nominations at
the prestigious Lys Blues Awards.
Steve’s acting debut with Alec aired on YTV in September
‘07 for premiere of the hit series, Prank Patrol. Rowe
originals
are on soundtracks for film and television including Teddy Bear, Seven
Days, Big Wolf on Campus and Student Bodies. Rowe’s first
televised concert was in 1997 for Bravo Television’s
Café
Campus en Blues. One of his favorite experiences was coaching actor
Christian Kane for his blues guitar-playing role in the MTV feature
Love Song.
When his father bought him a $15 dollar electric guitar, older brother
David kept hearing a teenage Steve work on his Led Zeppelin riffs. He
threw over a classic Robert Johnson vinyl with the advice that this was
the key to understanding the blues. Rowe honed his skills on standards
for many years as a guitar-slinger, and later in his own band. In the
year 2000 Steve started to write his own lyrics and music, releasing
his debut CD called Driving the Blues Away.
It was in 2002 when Steve met and started collaborating with Alec for
the recording of No Refund, No Return. Quality being paramount, the
full band records on 2” analogue tape with vintage
microphones
creating a raw, organic sound reminiscent of the early rock bands that
first inspired Steve. Chief Engineer Kevin Komada of Hotel2Tango can
take much of the credit for this alongside Mastering Artist Andrew
Heermans of New York’s Polywog Recording Company for
Rowe’s
recordings stay true to the man and his music.
Steve has firmly established his place in the Canadian blues scene,
with regular showcases at The Montreal International Jazz Festival,
countless Blues Fests and opening for top performers such as Bryan Lee,
Colin James, and Smokey Wilson. The many tributes, reviews and
nominations garnered have only sweetened the ride.
Quotes
"Rowe repeatedly proves that he
has plenty of skill as a string bender." -Mark Thompson, Blues Blast
"...a rocking sound akin to John Mayall's
early Bluesbreakers."
-Jim Hynes, Elmore Magazine
"Rowe is a fine guitarist and is equally
comfortable playing jazz, blues, acoustic, or just rocking the house
down." -Graham Clarke,
Blues Bytes
"Steve Rowe is one of Montreal's finest
guitarists,
and the concluding song of his new CD, 'La Vie en Blues' Is all the
proof you need. It's a tour de force of soloing inventiveness." -John Valenteyn, Maple Blues
Magazine
"[Five is] a top shelf blues release." -Malcolm Kennedy (WA Blues
Society Bluesletter)
| Audio
Samples: |
| Let's Go Out |
[ MP3
] |
| More Grits |
[ MP3
] |
| A Cat Like That |
[ MP3
] |
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| Video
Clips: |
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Steve
Rowe - Five
Style: Blues
Master blues guitarist Steve Rowe has
gained
his solid reputation and is acknowledged by the press and fans as a
Guitar Hero. His latest release, FIVE, delivers the blues with rare
intensity, buckets full of emotion, and a six-string style that draws
flattering comparisons with the British Guitar Gods of the '60s.
From early Blue Note jazz, FIVE detours to New Orleans' Mardi Gras,
back in time for some 30s jump blues, and ending with a side trip to
Memphis for a nice Stax groove. Steve and the band remain true
to
the powerful sound of the blues that leaves plenty of room to let
loose.
Catalog
#4505 (Released Feb 17, 2009) |
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Steve
Rowe - Live a Montreal
Style: Blues
When the time came to begin work on
Steve Rowe's fourth album, it seemed only natural to create the new
effort as a live album. For the past several years Steve has been
winning over massive crowds in the Canadian blues festival circuit, and
has garnered a reputation as both a regional guitar hero and a
guitarist's guitarist. On "Live a Montreal," Steve shows us exactly
what he's made of and why he's held in such high regard.
Catalog
#4509 (Released 2006) |
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Steve
Rowe - Front Rowe Center
Style: Blues
Front Rowe Center is an invitation to
experience - up close and
personal - the evolving blues of guitarist Steve Rowe. The rich tones
of his guitar stimulate your senses like vintage whiskey, mellowed with
age, warm and welcoming in one breath, sultry and demanding in the
next. Aged to perfection, steeped with experience, Front Rowe Center
offers the listener a strong, powerful set of blues the way it was
meant to be played - with all the passion and feeling that can be
mustered.
Catalog
#4508 (Released June 2005) |
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Steve
Rowe - No Refund No Return
Style: Blues
Displaying a vast amount of growth over
the span of two years, Steve Rowe returns with his sophomore album, "No
Refund No Return," an album comprised entirely of original material. On
this album, Steve and Cohort Alex McElcheran focus on bringing new life
to traditional blues styles and song forms, creating a unique and
high-energy amalgamation of old and new.
Catalog
#4507 (Released 2002) |
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Steve
Rowe - Driving the Blues Away
Style: Blues
For his debut album "Driving the Blues
Away," Steve Rowe takes us on a road trip around the United States,
paying homage to his favorite regional blues styles, including
the Texas Shuffle, straight-forward Chicago Style blues, and jazz
influenced swing blues representative of Kansas City
and St. Louis styles. A diverse and exciting journey through the
musical landscape of the blues.
Catalog
#4506 (Released 2000)
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