As a member of the New Grass Revival, John Cowan helped reinvent and reinvigorate American roots music. Starting in the '70s, New Grass spanned the gap between bluegrass and contemporary country, paying respect to tradition while connecting with a younger generation. As a solo artist and with the John Cowan Band, Cowan has continued his path as a skillful musical innovator, once more mining the richness of the American acoustic idiom. He visited the Folk Alley studios with his band to chat and play a song or two.