Faculty of Fine Arts | Faculty: Profs: R. Bowman

Faculty

ROB BOWMAN

BA, MFA (York), PhD (Memphis State)
Associate Professor: Ethnomusicology
Department of Music, York University

Professor Bowman pioneered popular music studies at York University. He lectures, publishes and broadcasts in many areas of popular music, from country, R & B and gospel to reggae, rap and funk. He has written liner notes for dozens of recordings and regularly authors, produces and advises on major documentary and CD reissue projects for record companies in Europe and North America. His many broadcast credits include a five-part radio series on the history of Canadian popular music and frequent guest spots on CBC Radio's Definitely Not the Opera.

Rob Bowman's work as an interpreter and documentarian of historical recordings of popular music has been recognized internationally. A five-time Grammy Award nominee, he won a Grammy in 1996 for Best Album Notes for his 47,000 word monograph accompanying the 10-CD boxed set of The Complete Stax/Volt Soul Singles, Vol. 3: 1972-1975, which he co-produced. His nominations included Best Album Notes for The Malaco Records Story: The Last Soul Company and The Complete Stax Singles, Vol. 1 1959-1968, and Best Historical Reissue for The Otis Redding Story. He received his fifth Grammy nomination in January 2002 for Best Album Notes for the 4 CD box set The Stax Story, which he also co-produced.

Professor Bowman's book, Soulsville, U.S.A. - The Story of Stax Records (1997), a definitive history of the legendary Memphis-based record label, has garnered numerous honours, including the Sweet Soul Music Award at the Poretta Soul Festival, Italy, and the ASCAP-Deems Taylor Award.

Parallel to his career as a teacher, writer, critic and broadcaster, Rob Bowman continues to perform professionally. His instruments - voice, euphonium, viola da gamba - reflect his eclectic musical interests: he is equally at home performing rock, jazz, rhythm and blues, and baroque music.