Steve Rowland


About Steve Rowland

oral historian and documentary producer


Steve Rowland “For 25 years I have been working in radio, video and now the Web, using the music and the arts as a window to explore issues in American History, society, race relations, human creativity, spirituality, aesthetic beauty, the nature of ‘change’ and human possibility.” Steve Rowland, MBA is […]

The Art of The Interview – Interview Tips



In yesterday’s New York Times, David Brooks wrote a fascinating column called “How Artists Change the World”. Brooks starts out by thinking about the role played by musicians at the DNC, but then settles into a thoughtful piece on Frederick Douglass and photography. He mentions a book called “Picturing Frederick […]

Frederick Douglass and Photography




Neither Elvin Jones or McCoy Tyner were happy about leaving the great John Coltrane Quartet in early 1965. Or about being replaced by Alice Coltrane and Rashied Ali – but Trane saw something very clear in what he wanted from the group, from Alice and from Rashied – that oddly […]

Late Coltrane


Miles Davis and John Coltrane. both born in 1926. Very different backgrounds. Miles came from a priviledged family — father was a dentist and landowner. Coltrane came from a working class family. His dad was a tailor and had a little dry cleaning and pressing shop. His two grandfathers were […]

Miles Davis and John Coltrane