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Parnassus Books is pleased to welcome John Cowan and Jimmy Schwartz to celebrate their new book, Hold to a Dream: A Newgrass Odyssey, in conversation with Ron Wynn.This is a free event which will take place IN STORE on Monday, May 20th at 6:30pm Central Time. Because space will be limited, registration is required to attend this event. Please register for free by filling out the form below! (Note: If for any reason you need to cancel your registration, please call the store at 615-953-2243 at least 24 hours before the event so your space can be provided to another guest.) Masks are strongly encouraged during this event.
About the Book
For over forty years, John Cowan has been both a participant in and chronicler of country and bluegrass music history. Whether as the lead singer and bassist of the genre-bending group New Grass Revival, a beloved personality on Nashville’s WSM radio (“the most famed country music station in the world”), or the newest member of the Doobie Brothers, Cowan has had a front-row seat to seismic changes in American roots music and in the recording industry as a whole.
Hold to a Dream combines a rollicking account of Cowan’s life and career with interviews with some of the biggest names in country and bluegrass, including Kris Kristofferson, Bela Fleck, Loretta Lynn, Jim Messina, John Carter Cash, Sam Moore, and Bernie Leadon. It’s a fascinating look into a half-century of tradition, experimentation, and innovation in one of the most vital and enduring of American musical genres.
About John Cowan
Hailed as “The Voice of Newgrass,” John Cowan has been singing his heart out for more than forty years in genres ranging from country, bluegrass, and gospel to soul, jazz, and rock-and-roll, often within the space of a single concert. As one of the original members of New Grass Revival, John—along with bandmates Sam Bush, Courtney Johnson, Curtis Burch, Bela Fleck, and Pat Flynn—introduced a new generation of music fans to an explosive and experimental brand of bluegrass, one that would help change the face of bluegrass and shape the sensibilities of country megastars including Garth Brooks and The (Dixie) Chicks and laid the groundwork for a new generation of bluegrass artists that includes Billy Strings & Molly Tuttle. John is currently the bassist for the Doobie Brothers, with whom he recently completed the group’s 50th anniversary tour. In addition, his new musical collaboration with fiddle player/singer Andrea Zonn - The HercuLeons - will release their debut album this winter, and John continues to perform with his New Grass All-Stars.
About Jimmy Schwartz
Jimmy Schwartz is a contributing writer, editor, and longtime friend of John Cowan. He worked for more than three decades as an advertising writer and creative director in Chicago. He first met Mr. Cowan during the production of a radio commercial thirty-five years ago in Nashville. In 2018, a single comment from John over stuffed spinach pizza--“We should work on something together,”-- kindled the spark of this memoir for which Jimmy, a lifelong Americana music fan, is unspeakably grateful. Mr. Schwartz is a devoted husband and awestruck father of two, currently living in the western suburbs of Chicago.
About Ron Wynn
Ron Wynn is a well-respected music writer and a true intellectual. In the ’80s, he was the chief music critic at the Memphis Commercial-Appeal, writing profiles of national and regional music greats. He has chronicled roots music figures of importance for Boston’s Bay State Banner, Connecticut’s Bridgeport Post-Telegram, The New Memphis Star magazine, Nashville’s City Paper, and currently the Nashville Scene and the Tennessee Tribune. He's also a columnist for the Tennessee Jazz and Blues Society’s website, and writes for The Bluegrass Situation among—remarkably—many other publications. Ron took part in fellow Memphis journalism legend Robert Gordon’s Muddy Waters: Can't Be Satisfied and was interviewed for the 1994 movie Rhythm, Country & Blues. His liner notes for From Where I Stand—The Black Experience in Country Music were nominated for a Grammy, and his work was part of the Grammy-winning Night Train to Nashville, Vol 1. compilation in 2005. He's made countless appearances on panels, at conferences, and in concert programs, and contributed to three books, including Ain't But a Few of Us: Black Music Writers Tell Their Story. And he's been a DJ, chairing blues, soul, and gospel shows beginning in 1974.
Event date:
Monday, May 20, 2024 - 6:30pm
Event address:
Parnassus Books
3900 Hillsboro Pike Suite 14
Nashville, TN 37215
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Event Venue & Nearby Stays
Parnassus Books, 3900 Hillsboro Pike, Ste 14,Nashville,TN,United States
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