Since 1978, the duo of Bob Bovee & Gail Heil has been performing a unique and personal brand of old-time music. Based in Minnesota, much of their work is based in the mid-west but recent performances this summer have found them in Massachusetts and Washington state as well as points in between.

Bob Bovee plays guitar, harmonica, banjo and autoharp. He grew up in Nebraska learning the old songs from family members. He has since learned from other older players and singers as well as vintage recordings that have documented our musical traditions. Since 1971 he has been a full-time professional entertainer specializing in traditional stringband and cowboy music.

Gail Heil plays fiddle, banjo, guitar and autoharp. Originally from Missouri, she learned a large part of her music and dance repertoire from older Ozark performers, and is nationally known for her attentions to perpetuating our traditional heritage of roots music. Gail has been a full time traditional musician/singer/dance caller/music instructor since 1976.

Bob & Gail’s new recording is an entertaining collection of cowboy and western songs. The duo notes: “Many of the songs on this album are “war horses,” I suppose. They’ve been performed and recorded countless times, but we all have a little different take on how to sing and play them. It seems like they can stand a few more miles without being rode into the ground. Our favorite music is the raw old-time sound of fiddlers we’ve known, the unaccompanied singing of our families, primitive 78 rpm recordings. It’s the honesty, the passion, the clarity, and the immediacy of that music that has always drawn us and we hope that our attempt at these songs catches those feelings. We hope that you enjoy them...and that the wind is always at your back.”