Hold to a Dream by John Cowan
The Beatles, not Bill Monroe, shook John Cowan’s world when he was a kid. By his own account in Hold to a Dream, he knew little about bluegrass before joining New Grass Revival in 1974. As it turns out, his prior interests in rock and R&B suited the group just fine. A New Grass Revival set list might include songs by anyone from Yes to Marvin Gaye and Bob Marley. Cowan’s lead vocals were compared to Robert Plant. Old guard bluegrass fans were not pleased.
With Hold to a Dream, Cowan recounts his story in conversational tones. Traditionalists exited festivals in droves when New Grass took the stage, and old Mr. Monroe himself told promoters that if New Grass was on the bill, “Don’t expect me to be there.” But Cowan’s band found their audience, often a subset of Little Feat and Grateful Dead fans. New Grass was Leon Russell’s band from 1978-’80.
Cowan’s recollections are filled out with interviews he conducted with musicians he admired, including Russell, Kris Kristofferson, Bonnie Bramlett and Bela Fleck (a member of New Grass in the ‘80s).
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