'New' Bluegrass, Country Music on Tap for CPR's Holiday Train for Hunger Relief

'New' Bluegrass, Country Music on Tap for CPR's Holiday Train for Hunger Relief MINNEAPOLIS, Nov. 23 /PRNewswire/ -- John Cowan, former lead singer and bassist for New Grass Revival, and his current band and Canadian country singer/songwriter Patricia Conroy will share Canadian Pacific Railway's boxcar stage next month for the 2004 U.S. Holiday Train. John Cowan played a few Holiday Train stops last year in the U.S. Northeast, and Patricia was on the 2002 U.S. Holiday Train. She replaces another Canadian country singer/songwriter and Holiday Train veteran, Beverley Mahood, who was previously listed in the 2004 U.S. Holiday Train lineup but had to step down due to a scheduling conflict. This year's 35-city U.S. tour to raise food, cash and awareness for hunger relief begins Dec. 2 in Scranton, Penn. The U.S. Holiday Train will visit nine towns in New York State and two in southern Ontario before beginning its eight-day Upper Midwest run on Dec. 9 outside of Chicago in Franklin Park, Ill. Major waypoints include the Milwaukee and Minneapolis-St. Paul areas before the 26-town Midwest tour ends Dec. 16 in Minot, N.D. From there, the train heads into Saskatchewan for three concerts. See http://www.cpr.ca/ for the complete schedule. The 850-foot U.S. Holiday Train consists of 12 railcars outlined in thousands of holiday lights, with a lighted tree on top of the locomotive. The performers and Santa ride in three private railcars at the end of the train. Meanwhile, a second train in Canada will begin a cross-country journey Dec. 5 in Ste.-Therese, Quebec, outside of Montreal and make more than 50 stops altogether by Dec. 19 when it ends in Port Moody, B.C., near Vancouver. Patricia, who has won several awards from the Canadian Country Music Association and has had five releases, is set to release a new album five years after the release of her last studio record, "Wild As The Wind." A Montreal native who lives in Nashville, Patricia is looking forward to riding the rails again for hunger relief. "It's quite a unique experience to be traveling on a train for two weeks with other musicians (for hunger relief). It just makes you feel better about the whole holiday season," Patricia said. She was amazed two years ago by crowds of a few thousand people waiting at night at railroad crossings, depots and rail yards to see her and the other musicians. "For the crowd to be out there standing in the snow because we were coming there, because of us, was incredible," she mused. John, who also lives in Nashville, was similarly charmed by his Holiday Train experience. "When we did it last year, it was one of the neatest things I've ever done in the music business," said the 51-year-old musician who has been performing professionally since he was 14. He has toured in 44 countries and appeared on "A Prairie Home Companion." "It was very cold doing it, but it didn't matter. People would be all bundled up and put their kids up on their shoulders," John said. "The whole thing is very sweet." A bass guitarist and tenor, John performed for 16 years with New Grass Revival and helped create the sub-genre of music known as "newgrass." The John Cowan Band consists of national fiddle champion Luke Bulla; Wayne Benson, who won mandolin player of the year at the International Bluegrass Music Awards this year; IBMA award-winning guitarist Jeff Autry and banjo player Noam Pikelny. John's last solo release was "Always Take Me Back" in 2002 on Sugar Hill Records. He is wrapping up work on a new release recorded live at Telluride, Colo. The John Cowan Band's Holiday Train songs will likely include the traditional bluegrass tune popularized by Bill Monroe, "Christmas Time's A- Comin'," which was written by fiddler Tex Logan; "Let's Make a Baby King" by Canadian Jesse Winchester and the classic "What Child is This?" done ballad style in four-part harmony. Patricia plans to sing an Eagles' song, "Love Will Keep Us Alive," a tune she wrote called "I Know Santa's Been Here," and "The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting On An Open Fire.)" An audience sing-along usually rounds out the performance during which Santa and railroad employees distribute train whistles and food shelf workers collect food and cash from the audience. The 2004 CPR Holiday Train is also pleased to announce that producer/entertainer Randall Prescott will be back this year to oversee the show on both trains. Randall is among Canada's most awarded producers, with gold and platinum records to his credit. CPR will make monetary donations to local food banks and food pantries or shelves listed in the schedule below. Event goers are encouraged to bring cash donations or non-perishable food items. All donations made in a community remain in that community for distribution. Since its beginning in 1999, the Holiday Train program has raised close to 213 tons of food and more than $1.5 million (Cdn) for North American food banks. About Canadian Pacific Railway Canadian Pacific Railway is a transcontinental carrier operating in Canada and the U.S. Its 14,000-mile rail network serves the principal centers of Canada, from Montreal to Vancouver, and the U.S. Northeast and Midwest regions. CPR feeds directly into America's heartland from the East and West coasts. Alliances with other carriers extend its market reach throughout the U.S. and into Mexico. Canadian Pacific Logistics Solutions provides logistics and supply chain expertise worldwide. Archived News Releases: November 5, 2004 - "Canada's largest moving food bank fundraiser to bring its spirit and energy to more than 50 Canadian communities this holiday season" November 5, 2004 - "Rolling fundraiser to bring holiday lights to Upper Midwest" October 4, 2004 - "CPR's 2004 Holiday Train to host the return of the Moffatts as it rolls across Canada raising funds and awareness for food banks" October 7, 2004 - John Cowan - Beverley Mahood headline 2004 US Holiday Train Backgrounders Below: Holiday Train Headliners and updated U.S. Midwest schedule. General Inquiries: Please visit http://www.cpr.ca/ or call the Community Connect Line at: 1-800-766-7912. * For more details on the artists, go to the 2004 Holiday Train website. John Cowan: US Midwest and Northeast Holiday Train Possessing arguably one of the most powerful and emotive tenor voices in today's music, John Cowan penned six of 13 songs in a tour de force album, produced by Wendy Waldman, "Always Take Me Back," a project which matched his vocals musically and lyrically. In his second solo release for Sugar Hill, Cowan reached down into the deepest recesses of his soul in an introspective, cathartic, deeply autobiographical journey and ultimately triumphant masterpiece. "It has taken me a long time to finally arrive at this place both musically and personally," Cowan admits. "Three years ago I went on the road with some extraordinary acoustic players and realized this is what I should do. I'd run away from the legacy of 16 years with New Grass Revival for so long; and I finally realized that for some reason me singing with these instruments make sense." For more information, visit his website at: http://www.johncowan.com/ Patricia Conroy - U.S. Midwest and Northeast Train Patricia Conroy is no stranger to the world of country music. In 1990, Conroy released her first critically acclaimed album, "Blue Angel." The album featured many famous Nashville session musicians, including Vince Gill on background vocals. Two years later, she followed with her second release, "Bad Day For Trains," which featured the Canadian Top 10 hit "My Baby Loves Me" and two No. 1s, "What Do You Care" and the title track. The result was Patricia being named the Canadian Country Music Association's Female Vocalist of the Year for 1994. She garnered Album of the Year status for her sophomore release (CCMA - 1993). Patricia's third album (1995) treated country music fans to even more hits and videos. In 1998, she released her critically acclaimed independent album, "Wild as the Wind," featuring the stand-out single, "Mary On the Dashboard." This success resulted in the popular win at the 1999 Canadian Country Music Association Awards where Patricia was voted Independent Female Artist of the Year. Since then, Patricia has been honing her writing skills in Nashville, where she's had a great deal of positive feedback pitching songs to other artists in Canada and Nashville. In total, Patricia has produced an impressive eight No. 1 singles and five No. 1 videos. A new album is now ready. Randall Prescott: 2004 Holiday Train Producer Randall Prescott is one of Canada's most awarded producers, with gold and platinum records to his credit. He has produced for artists such as Patricia Conroy, Charlie Major, Tom Jackson and Susan Aglukark. As an accomplished musician, he has also performed as part of the Prescott Brothers, the Family Brown and Prescott-Brown with his wife, Tracey Brown. Randall's charitable work includes several Red Cross fundraising appeals and the Power Aid Concert to help victims of the 1998 ice storm. 2004 CPR Midwest Holiday Train Schedule Thursday, Dec. 9 Illinois Franklin Park, Ill. - 5:45 p.m. to 6:25 p.m. - B12 Switch Tower park, off of Cal Wagner Street by U.S. Post Office. Benefits Leyden Family Service food pantry. Gurnee, Ill. - 7:20 p.m. to 8:10 p.m. - North side of Grand Avenue underpass, east side of Depot Road across from Viking Park. Benefits Northern Illinois Food Bank. Wisconsin Sturtevant, Wis. - 9:15 p.m. to 10:05 p.m. - Amtrak depot, one block north of Highway 11 and Wisconsin Street. Benefits Racine County Food Bank. Friday, Dec. 10 Brookfield, Wis. - 5 p.m. to 5:50 p.m. - Fox Brook Park, Barker Road at River Road. Benefits Food Pantry of Waukesha County. Watertown, Wis. - 6:20 p.m. to 7 p.m. - Third Street crossing. Benefits Watertown Food Pantry. Portage, Wis. - 7:50 p.m. to 8:50 p.m. - Amtrak depot, 400 W. Oneida St. Benefits St. Vincent De Paul Society. Mauston, Wis. - 9:30 p.m. to 10:20 p.m. - Mauston Industrial Park, West State Street. Benefits Mauston Community Sharing Pantry. Saturday, Dec. 11 La Crosse, Wis. - 5:10 p.m. to 5:50 p.m. - Amtrak depot, 601 St. Andrew St. Benefits WAFER. Minnesota Winona, Minn. - 6:30 p.m. to 7:25 p.m. - Amtrak depot, 65 E. Mark St. Benefits Winona Volunteer Services. Lake City, Minn. - 8:35 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. - Hearth Technologies, 800 W. Jefferson St. Benefits Lake City Food Shelf. Sunday, Dec. 12 Red Wing, Minn. - 4:45 p.m. to 5:25 p.m. - Amtrak depot, 420 Levee St. Benefits Red Wing Area Food Shelf. Hastings, Minn. - 5:50 p.m. to 6:40 p.m. - CPR depot, 500 E. Second St. Benefits Hastings Family Service. Cottage Grove, Minn. - 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. - Belden Street crossing behind Mobil station on Hadley Ave. S. Benefits Friends in Need Food Shelf. St. Paul, Minn. - 8:10 p.m. to 9:10 p.m. - Upper level of All-Right Parking Ramp at Broadway & Kellogg in Lowertown. This location is east of the old post office and is under the Lafayette freeway bridge. Benefits Second Harvest Heartland and Hunger Solutions Minnesota. Monday, Dec. 13 Northeast Minneapolis - Yard opens at 4 p.m. for parking. Show will be from 5 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. -- Shoreham Yard, 2800 Central Ave. NE. Benefits Salvation Army Central Corps. Loretto, Minn. - 6:40 p.m. to 7:20 p.m. - Hennepin County Road 19 crossing downtown across from Axel's Restaurant. Benefits Hanover Area Food Shelf. Buffalo, Minn. - 7:45 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. - 612 NE Third Ave. behind McDonalds. Benefits Buffalo Food Shelf. Annandale, Minn. - 9:15 p.m. to 9:55 p.m. - West side of downtown park over the Oak Avenue crossing. Benefits Annandale Community Food Shelf. Tuesday, Dec. 14 Mahnomen, Minn. - 5:15 p.m. to 6:05 p.m. - 300 E. Jefferson Ave. by Shooting Star Casino. Benefits Helping Hands Food Shelf. Thief River Falls, Minn. - 7:35 p.m. to 8:25 p.m. - Depot/City Hall, 2017 Highway 59 SE. Benefits Thief River Falls Area Food Shelf. Wednesday, Dec. 15 Elbow Lake, Minn. - 4:50 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. - Main Street crossing. Benefits Grant County Emergency Food Shelf. North Dakota Hankinson, N.D. - 6:45 p.m. to 7:25 p.m. - Former depot site, 410 First Street SE. Benefits Richland-Wilkin Emergency Food Pantry. Enderlin, N.D. - 9:15 p.m. to 9:55 p.m. - CPR depot, 101 Harvest Lane. Benefits Ransom County Food Pantry. Thursday, Dec. 16 Carrington, N.D. - 4:35 p.m. to 5:25 p.m. - Former depot, 6th Street North. Benefits Foster County Food Pantry. Harvey, N.D. - 6:30 p.m. to 7:20 p.m. -- CPR depot, 600 Lincoln Ave. Benefits Central Dakota Ministerial Alliance. Minot, N.D. - 9:30 p.m. to 10:20 p.m. - Main Street crossing. Benefits Minot Area Homeless Coalition. Link to Holiday Train information on Website is: http://www.cpr.ca/English/General+Public/Holiday+Train/default.htm Backgrounder: PDF of 2004 Holiday Train route map and Holiday Train PDF poster files are at http://www.cpr.ca/ and then click on the Holiday Train icon on the homepage. Editor's Note: For interviews with any of the artists and-or Randall Prescott, please call the contacts below. Source: Canadian Pacific Railway CONTACT: Canadian media, Ed Greenberg, +1-403-319-3686, +1-403-540-8106 (cell), ed_greenberg@cpr.ca , or U.S. Midwest media, Laura Baenen, +1-612-851-5659, +1-612-799-0831 (cell), laura_baenen@cpr.ca , both of Canadian Pacific Railway Web site: http://www.cpr.ca/ ------- Profile: International Entertainment