Bob Bowman performs intricate,
classical-inspired arrangements of traditional Celtic
and American music from the past 300 years
interspersed with familiar jazz and pop standards,
tunes by friends, and his own compositions which borrow
from all those styles. His playing is reminiscent
‘60’s British Isles musicians Bert Jansch, John
Renbourn, and Davy Graham, with influences
from a diverse lot of American guitarists
such as John Fahey, Lenny Breau, and
Eric
 Schoenberg. Bob’s live
performances appeal to all ages providing
entertaining, unobtrusive accompaniment to fine
dining, parties, receptions, outdoor events, and more.For more than three decades Bob has
been respected for his guitar, banjo, and mandolin
work as a soloist and with various vocalists
and groups, including the popular Celtic
band, Kitchen Junket. He has arranged and
recorded several instrumental soundtracks
for documentary films by PBS, National Geographic,
and independent filmmakers.
Bob took a 20 year break from live
performance while working on some particularly demanding
marine science and conservation projects. He began
appearing again in restaurants and events
in eastern Maine and Canada in the spring of 2009.
Affordable and in demand, Bob plays a
couple hundred shows a year. Bob mostly grew up on Little Cranberry Island, Maine where he was a ferry captain for many years. An accomplished marine wildlife conservation researcher, he has traveled the world as an adviser on marine mammal conservation strategy and technology. Bob and his wife, Cate, divide their time year-round between a home in New Brunswick, a seaside cabin in Maine, and a 24-foot motorhome in which they tour the country. Technical stuff
Bob regards live musical appearances as a partnership with venue owners to provide an affordable, quality experience for the audience. Booking agreements are based on actual costs logically suited to each situation and space. He actively promotes his public performances in Internet and newspaper calendars. Bob provides
professional sound systems for rooms from 20 to 500
people. His innovative use of wireless technology
permits flexible speaker placement (without cables) as
well as the ability to Bob's main performance instruments
include a custom OM cutaway guitar built for him in
1985 by Dana Bourgeois,
2001 Martin 000-16, 2006 Martin OM Aura, 2008
Taylor GA3-12-string, and
a 2000 Weber Beartooth octave
mandolin. Other instruments include a
1956 Martin 0-18, 1919
Vega Whyte Laydie six-string banjo, and a 1923 Vega
Tubaphone tenor banjo. Selected
film
performances:
The Rock; original score; Maine Public Broadcasting Network (1985) Ashley Bryan: Portrait of a Storyteller; original song; National Geographic (1988) Marine Mammals of the Gulf of Maine, original score, College of the Atlantic (1991) Our Stories; original score; Maine Public Broadcasting Network (1998) Amazing Coastal Creatures: original music; Forged Image Productions (2004) Chummy Rich, Maine Boat Builder: The Building of Andromeda, original score, Dobbs Productions (2010) Ralph Stanley, an Eye for Wood, original score, Dobbs Productions (2015) Top |
transmit
a high-quality signal directly to a venue's in-house sound
system for distribution throughout a restaurant,
gallery, garden, or other non-traditional or
multi-room performance space. Equipment
includes a professional battery-powered system that is
perfect for many outdoor events, weddings, and even
boats. In performance, Bob is set up in minutes and
generally requires only floor space for a
stool.
