John Rowin

The surname Rowin has connections with the act of rowing a boat, in olden days a way of identifying a family that was industrious in this regard. The association makes sense in the case of a musician from the oh-so-modern generation of the '70s who noodled on newly invented synthesizer equipment as well as caressed jazzy and funky chords from his electric guitar. All the same, John Rowin's career gives the impression of someone rapidly rowing a boat around a riverbend, never to be seen again. In a six year period between 1973 and 1979, Rowin appeared on some 35 different recording dates, sometimes in the company of jazz heavyweights such as alto saxophonist Gary Bartz and trumpeter Donald Byrd. Rowin worked on many Blue Note and Milestone dates, yet listeners who drool over these sorts of discs should bear in mind that as the '70s progressed, many jazz players seemed to become haunted by some kind of insecurity complex, diddling and dabbling with funk, rock and pop on their recordings in a manner that the guardians of the jazz fiefdom regarded as to the detriment of not only to their own careers but the genre as a whole. That Rowin was a frequent participant in such sessions is not simply a musical scarlet letter, however, as the passing of time has allowed a generous reappraisal--grape juice literally turning into a $75 bottle of Chateau-neuf. Rowin provided some early synthesizer work as well as guitar playing in these days, the sounds strongly influenced by Stevie Wonder and Herbie Hancock. He also made use of the baritone guitar on some sessions. His contributions tend to drift toward the background, or at least were mixed that way. It is an accurate kind of soundtrack for his career, as not much seems to be known about what he did following the glory decade of...