After a six year absence, Bryan Bowers returns to Caltech in less than two weeks, on Saturday, May 30 in Beckman Institute Auditorium at 8:00 p.m. Carrying on the tradition of Maybelle Carter and others, Bryan has taken the autoharp to new heights and dimensions, and he is arguably one of the finest and best-known autoharp players in the world.

If you haven’t seen or heard Bryan perform, you may not know what a wonderful sound the autoharp has or how versatile it is. From the energetic Celtic tune “St. Anne’s Reel” to his own stately love song “Magnolia,” Bryan shows his wide range. One need only go to Bryan’s website to find samples of his great music and to get an idea of the deep body of songs he has put together over the years. There are dozens of audio samples of his music there, and you can quickly hear the richness of his singing, playing, and stories.

See him action on “Your Bright Smile Haunts Me Still” at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TyxL5KTsIwQ, and find the wondrous things he does with the gospel song “Where the Soul Never Dies:”

As fine as these songs are, this is only half of the story, for to see and hear him live is a very satisfying experience. Though he has lived in Seattle for many years now, he has retained an easy Southern manner from his Virginia roots. Fond of telling a story or two, he includes a solid dose of humor, with songs like Mark Graham’s “Zen Gospel Singing” and Tom Dundee’s “Dog,” a touchingly warm song about a fellow getting his first dog. Bryan’s website is http://www.bryanbowers.com.

Tickets for the show are $15 for adults and $5 for Caltech students and children.  Order them at the Caltech Ticket Office, from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Monday through Friday, at (626) 395-4652 or in person (no service charge) at Winnett Student Center on campus.

You can also buy tickets online for this show as well as the upcoming  bluegrass and mountain folk music of Susie Glaze & The Hilonesome Band on Susie Glaze & The Hilonesome Band on Saturday, June 13.