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One night only -- Friday, February 25 at 7 pm
Amigos 3 - Dan Knowles, Tim May and Danny Conger
at the Cowan Center for the Arts Theater
$10.00 Admission

Master Class for musicians
Friday, Feb 25 from 4:00 - 5:30 pm
at Cowan Artisan - 114 Cumberland Dr East, Cowan
$25 cost includes admission to 7 pm concert

DAN KNOWLES - NATIONAL OLD-TIME BANJO CHAMPION 2003

Take a step forward and backwards in time. Take that step with a smile. Be prepared to laugh, sing and clap. That’s where you will find river man, DAN KNOWLES, doing what he does best, giving folks an old fashioned good time. A true master in the art of audience participation, Dan takes folks for a very personal, sing-along story telling ride covering nearly 200 years of American music.

Dan is a true master clawhammer style banjo player. As Boge Quinn, State of Tennessee Old-Time Fiddlers Judge Executive says, “Dan Knowles is the Best clawhammer banjo player alive!” Dan performs a wide variety of styles including Civil War Minstrel banjo, Classical banjo, Mountain style and Bluegrass. Besides playing banjo DAN is also well versed and performs on the guitar, mandolin, and is a recognized master of the musical saw.

As a veteran entertainer of over 30 years Dan has been billed with a wide variety of top acoustic music personalities including NICKEL CREEK, CHARLIE PRIDE, BELA FLECK, MARK O’CONNER, MIKE SNIDER, DAVID GRISMAN, LAURIE LEWIS, TAJ MAHAL, TONY RICE, RIDERS IN THE SKY, JIM & JESSE, CHARLIE LOUVIN and many others. Dan has performed in a great variety of prestigious venues including WSM’s GRAND OLE OPERY, & THE COUNTRY MUSIC HALL OF FAME. His also a featured artist at many FESTIVALS, CONCERTS, FAIRS, COLLEGES, CIVIL WAR REINACTMENTS, CLUBS, RIVERBOATS and TELEVISION & RADIO.

TIM MAY - GUITAR

Flatpicker Tim May has been working in the Nashville area for over 20 years as a sideman, session player, band member and performer. Higher profile projects have included touring with Patty Loveless and John Cowan, and working as a regular on the Grand Ole Opry with Mike Snider. Tim was the solo guitarist on Charlie Daniels’ recording of I’ll Fly Away, which was nominated for the Best Country Instrumental Performance Grammy in 2005, the same year he was session leader on the critically acclaimed Moody Bluegrass album (Moody Bluegrass II is currently in the works as well). Elixir Strings, Benedetto Guitars and Breedlove Guitars all have presented professional endorsements to Tim, a serious nod to his talents.

For fifteen years Tim was a member of Crucial Smith, a powerful bluegrass act that put out two CDs (produced by New Grass Revival’s original flatpicker Pat Flynn) before disbanding in 2003. Flynn has a Tim May tune (King of Babylon) on his latest album plus Father Time, a tune Flynn co-wrote with Tim. Today Tim keeps his chops up playing “AmeriCeltic” – a delightful mix of Irish, Scottish, Old Time and Bluegrass tunes – with his band Plaidgrass. The group released their first CD in January 2008. He's also on the roster of Radiola and performs in a hot-picking ensemble on tour with Brad Davis and Dan Miller. As good a singer as he is a flatpicker, Tim’s vocals can be heard on his first solo album, Find My Way Back and on A Bluegrass Tribute to Neil Young, a CD Tim’s produced for CMH Records, released in January 2008. In 2008, he combined forces with Fred Carpenter to form Carpenter & May . In 2010, their debut CD was released on Violin Shop Records, and Carpenter & May charted as the #1 artist with the #1 album at folk radio.

Though he owns and plays an unusually broad variety of instruments, Tim's a true connoisseur of the acoustic plectrum sound. He's been long enchanted by early Gibson pieces and owns the full red sunburst line used in Gibson Mandolin Orchestras that were popular in the early 1900s, including the somewhat elusive Mandobass. Tim also owns several guitars from that period, his 1919 “O” model Guitar perhaps the most exotic.

DANNY CONGER - ‘HAVE BOW WILL TRAVEL’

Fiddler almost since birth Danny Conger is the REAL DEAL.  A musicians musician Danny was taught the rudiments of his traditional West Tennessee style by his father Joe, immersed in the music of Fiddlin’ Arther Smith, Sid Harkreader & Mazy Todd. At 16 Danny met (then young) fiddler Mark O’Conner and his approach was never quite the same. A stint with well known Newgrass group Eagle Creek moved his playing farther along the road of Sam Bush style improvisation.

Danny has gone on to win several prestigious including several wins of the West Kentucky Championship at Devil’s Elbow and the Southeast Regional Fiddle Championship at Holladay, TN.

Many first quality musical acts have used Danny’s talents in their shows a few include: Hank Williams Jr., Trace Adkins, Jessica Andrews, Dan Knowles & His Hot Band and Loretta Lynn. Danny has been billed with many fine acts including: Exile, Gary Morris, Ace Cannon, Tony Rice Unit, Little River Band & The Grascals.

Danny’s fine fiddle work can be heard on many recordings including: Jessica Andrews, Dan Knowles & Wires And Wood. His writing and fiddle work was also heard on the Nathan Forrest Waltz recorded by the Southeren Sons and nominate for the Americana Song Of The Year by the Dixie Network.