Peter
Roller has
been exploring guitar styles in a variety
of cultural directions since discovering music
like the blues of Mississippi Fred McDowell
and the Bluegrass of Flatt & Scruggs as
a teen. Over the past thirty years, while
working as a professional musician and college
instructor, he has written a body of guitar-led
original music that leans variously towards
Hawaiian slack key, bossa nova, Piedmont blues
and steel guitar jazz. Roller is releasing
his first full length CD of such pieces in
Spring 2010, including his Dobro instrumental Rancho
Mirage, the only work previously available
on the widely popular Narada compilation Masters
of Acoustic Guitar.
Roller
is based in Milwaukee and teaches in the Music
Department at Alverno College. He has
played and recorded with area performers--bluesman,
Steve Cohen, worldbeat band, Paul Cebar & the
Milwaukeeans and gospel quartet, the Masonic
Wonders. Previously, Roller was the guitar
accompanist for first generation country bluesman,
Yank Rachell, acting as producer and playing
on his Bling Pig release Blues Mandolin
Man.
Roller's goal with this
upcoming original guitar music release is
to get tunes into soundtracks and internet
settings. His earlier music piece, Rancho
Mirage has been in Japanese TV
and other media settings.