Boy-o and The Professor: Dave Good (l) Robert Cowan (r)

Humble hero on the harp: “Robert had an unusual habit like no other,” says saxophonist Dave Good of Robert Cowan, a bandmate in every band Good formed after their 2015 jam session at Java Joe’s, including the Bossa Nova Project. “With his non-harmonica hand, he would reach out to other musicians on any given bandstand and make a gesture as if he were inviting them to come closer. What he was actually doing was trying to bring them into whatever musical web he was spinning with his own solo and get them to trade lines with him. He always said that music is a conversation.”

Cowan passed away in early January following a late-December heart attack. The accomplished harmonica player played with everyone from Strawberry Alarm Clock and Trombone Shorty to Taj Mahal and Antonio Carlos Jobim, as well as running rhythm-and-blues jams at area venues such as the Kraken. He founded an acoustic swing, blues, rock, and R&B band called Little Monsters and recruited guitarists Phil Diiorio (Honey Lickers) and John January (Frank the Baptist), sax player Chuck Arcilla, bassist Jodie Hill (Sluka), and drummer Ric Lee (Bayou Brothers, Uptown Rhythm Makers), along with vocalists Annette Magee and Kekey Buche. The band released its debut EP in 2011, recorded at Studio 350 and engineered by William Driscoll.

Before learning to play harp, Cowan was immersed in the music world via his work as set designer for the Grateful Dead and Aerosmith (in addition to working in film and for plays at the Old Globe Theater). Little Feat guitarist Paul Barrere gave Cowan a harmonica and insisted, despite Cowan’s protests, that the budding theatrical aspirant could and should play it.

Cowan’s artistic worlds continued to meld and morph while he was designing a home for Bluesbreakers founder John Mayall in 1979. As reported locally in the San Diego Troubadour, Mayall gave Cowan valuable advice regarding readiness and equipment. Recording sessions and live performances with a host of eclectic artists seemed to happen spontaneously, as Cowan sat in or recorded with numerous renowned musicians.

“Robert Cowan — and I say this with all kindness — had a habit of name-dropping,” says Good. “Into our talks about music, he would weave stories about his days as production designer for Hollywood films, the Grateful Dead, Aerosmith, MTV, gigs with Trombone Shorty, Taj Mahal, Antonio Carlos Jobim, and on and on. I had no idea whether any of this was true, but I didn’t care. I liked the guy, and I truly enjoyed what he brought to a gig, so I just listened and took all of his stories in stride. Then one day, nearing evening, we were sitting on the tailgate of his immaculately restored ‘39 flat-bed Chevrolet truck, eating very bad barbecue. We were backstage at a music festival, maybe Adams Avenue, and somehow Cowan had managed to park back there, even though he wasn’t a performer. Some guys in funny clothes stepped out of a motor home and walked past us, headed for the main stage with their guitars and whatnot. One of them looked over and saw us, then did a double take. ‘Hey Robert,’ he called out, ‘did you bring your harmonica? Do you want to sit in with us?’ It was the band Strawberry Alarm Clock. And after that encounter, I never doubted any of Robert’s stories.”

Good’s experiences and relationship with Cowan were echoed on social media — friends and loved ones painting a picture of a man who put people at ease and was a natural storyteller. Despite his professional accomplishments and the demand for his playing, he remained the embodiment of humility. “What Cowan brought to the table, aside from his originality on the tin sandwich, was grace,” says Good. “The man had no ego. He would sit out in my garage and jam with the guys, even though he’d performed with heavy hitters such as the Neville Brothers.”

Cowan’s personality gently inspired Good’s own approach. “We shared teaching in common. I teach saxophone privately, and have for years. Robert, on the other hand, shared his musical thoughts and wisdom with a multitude of my own students of all ages, and any and all band members. He taught me to stop thinking and play from my heart. I nicknamed him The Professor. He called me Boy-o.”

Robert Cowan’s Celebration of Life will be held at the Belly Up in Solana Beach on January 30. Slated to appear are Rob Lamonica & Benito Meschoulam, Frankie Dee, John January, Cadillac Fringe, Linda Berry, Doug Allen & Danny DiCarlo, Don Clark, Harmonica John, and others TBA.