Tom Rowe
Encyclopedia
Thomas J. "Tom" Rowe was the bass player and a singer in the folk trios Schooner Fare
and Turkey Hollow. He was noted for playing a five-string bass instead of the usual four-string. Born to Charles "Bud" Rowe, and his wife, Thoma, he had two brothers named Russ and Chuck and a sister named Shirley. He went to school in Auburn, Maine and graduated from Edward Little High School as part of the class of 1969. He then majored in Music Education at the University of Southern Maine. A year after graduating, Tom joined the Maine folk/rock group Devonsquare. Three months after he joined, however, the band split up, and he went along with Steve and Chuck Romanoff, and together the they formed the folk trio Schooner Fare. As part of the band, Tom sang and played electric bass, pennywhistle, and sometimes guitar. He also wrote a number of songs for the band, which included "Salt Water Farm", "Big House, Middle House, Back House, Barn", "John Cook", "The Royal Tar", and "Way Down Below".
In 1992, Tom became part of another group, Rowe by Rowe, a duo which consisted of himself and his son, Dave. Six years later, Rowe by Rowe became a trio when joined by Tom's longtime friend Denny Breau, who had been a guest guitarist on one of the early Schooner Fare albums, and the name was changed to Turkey Hollow. In addition, Tom had released a solo album in 1991, titled "Whistle Up a Storm". Unfortunately, he contracted cancer in his early fifties and died in 2004. Almost immediately afterwards, the Romanoff brothers decided against replacing him with someone else. They continue to perform as a duo. Turkey Hollow stayed together for about two more years, but subsequently disbanded. Since then Dave Rowe continues to perform, both as soloist, and with two other groups.
Schooner Fare
Schooner Fare is a local Maine folk band, consisting of the late Tom Rowe , Steve Romanoff , and Chuck Romanoff . Schooner Fare plays primarily original maritime, socially conscious, and traditional folk music...
and Turkey Hollow. He was noted for playing a five-string bass instead of the usual four-string. Born to Charles "Bud" Rowe, and his wife, Thoma, he had two brothers named Russ and Chuck and a sister named Shirley. He went to school in Auburn, Maine and graduated from Edward Little High School as part of the class of 1969. He then majored in Music Education at the University of Southern Maine. A year after graduating, Tom joined the Maine folk/rock group Devonsquare. Three months after he joined, however, the band split up, and he went along with Steve and Chuck Romanoff, and together the they formed the folk trio Schooner Fare. As part of the band, Tom sang and played electric bass, pennywhistle, and sometimes guitar. He also wrote a number of songs for the band, which included "Salt Water Farm", "Big House, Middle House, Back House, Barn", "John Cook", "The Royal Tar", and "Way Down Below".
In 1992, Tom became part of another group, Rowe by Rowe, a duo which consisted of himself and his son, Dave. Six years later, Rowe by Rowe became a trio when joined by Tom's longtime friend Denny Breau, who had been a guest guitarist on one of the early Schooner Fare albums, and the name was changed to Turkey Hollow. In addition, Tom had released a solo album in 1991, titled "Whistle Up a Storm". Unfortunately, he contracted cancer in his early fifties and died in 2004. Almost immediately afterwards, the Romanoff brothers decided against replacing him with someone else. They continue to perform as a duo. Turkey Hollow stayed together for about two more years, but subsequently disbanded. Since then Dave Rowe continues to perform, both as soloist, and with two other groups.