Search - Peter Rowan, Tony Rice :: You Were There for Me

Bridget S. (Vassar) from PLYMOUTH, IN
Reviewed on 4/23/2009...

Really loved this album! I listened to Peter & Tony's cd Quartet, liked it so much, that I got this one, and this one was even better. Some of the best tunes were Tin Roof Shack and Wild Mustang. If you listend to Quartet first, I will say that Tony doesn't play as fancy on this one, but none the less, this is one of my favorites!
Rating: 10/10

Rowan sings, while Rice plucks the strings

Joe Sixpack -- Slipcue.com | ...in Middle America | 09/29/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Two newgrass oldtimers pair up for what is, remarkably, their first full-length collaboration together... Mystic poet-folkie Peter Rowan dominates the album in the sense that the songs are all Rowan originals, and guitarist Tony Rice (who has a wonderful voice, but has been unable to sing for over a decade now due to a medical condition...) limits himself strictly to fancy fingerpicking for the length of the record. They're joined by a compact backup band, anchored by bassist Byrn Bright, a rock-solid player who continues to prove herself one of bluegrass music's brightest new stars. It helps to be a Peter Rowan fan for this one; there isn't a very strong truegrass feel for most of the material, but Rice does roll out some beautiful and very sympathetic accompaniment. I'm always happy to hear his elegant fretwork, and this is a nice showcase for his softer side."

Growing on me

Robert R. Veith | Redmond, WA USA | 05/04/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I saw these two perform together live at Bumbershoot in Seattle a number of years ago. Rowan was in fine voice. Rice, and the whole of the band, accompanied with sensitivity and virtuosity uncomon in combination in contemporary bluegrass. Their performance of the old traditional "Wayfaring Stranger" brought me to tears and remains vivid in my mind as the definitive performance of a song which everyone has done.



So, when I picked up this album, I was initially (frankly) a bit disappointed. It seems quiet and subdued next to the live performance. The musicians have very few opportunities to stretch out and improvise. It's all Rowan compositions; no traditional music on the whole disc.



But I gave it a second, third, fourth listen. I paid for it, so why not? And it's really grown on me. The musicianship is quietly stunning. Tony Rice has a way of putting 50 notes into a single bar of music that makes it seem simple and melodic. Then I started to notice the other instuments. Bassist Bryn Bright plays enough music to hold every song together on his own, yet he never gets in anyone's way, to just give one other example.



And this is saying nothing of the songwriting. The more I listen, the more I appreciate the story telling, the uncommon subject matter, the nuances of interpretation.



Yup, this is a keeper."