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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)
"Five" reached #20 on the Living Blues Radio Chart for
March 2009
| Audio
Samples: |
| Let's Go Out |
[ MP3 ] |
| More Grits |
[ MP3 ] |
| A Cat Like That |
[ MP3 ] |
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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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