Iconic bluegrass songster Peter Rowan channels the spirit of the Free Mexican Airforce in his latest album, a genre-blurring tapestry of borderland ballads, outlaw tales, and timeless Americana storytelling.

‘Tales of the Free Mexican Airforce’ – Peter Rowan

**Bluegrass Hall of Famer and multi-genre songwriter/performer Peter Rowan has released a new album, aptly titled Tales of the Free Mexican Airforce.**

The songs are little stories – snapshots of lives lived somehow, somewhere. Tracks like “Mississippi California,” “Sunset Eyes,” and “Oh, Liberty” breathe with life, offering vignettes into the worlds of their characters. You can feel their predicaments, their desperation. Connected by themes of outlawry, they are American stories set to music.

Despite the presence of Los Texmaniacs – a Tex-Mex band – playing alongside Rowan, this album defies categorization. As Rowan himself told me, “I don’t think of this as genre music, but more as Texas rock-and-roll. It’s the tales of the outlaw trail, crossing borders of personal challenge and particular predicaments outside of the conventional.”

The result is a vibrant collection of new tracks mixed with a few older ones.

Tales of the Free Mexican Airforce - Peter Rowan — Tales of the Free Mexican Airforce – Peter Rowan

Returning to continue their long-time collaboration, Flaco Jiménez plays accordion on “The Free Mexican Airforce” and “Moonlight Midnight,” recalling his performance on the original recordings. “María Elena,” a newly composed instrumental by Jiménez, sparkles with electricity. As Rowan writes on the album cover, “This record is both a celebration and a homage – to the musical culture that inspired ‘Midnight Moonlight’ and the kind people who have given me hope for the future.”

Rowan reflected, “I left Seatrain in 1970. My last show was in San Antonio, Texas. I spent the following days wandering the streets of the old town, meeting people, soaking up the music, the food, the energy – the Alamo at sunrise, churches filled with lifelike Madonnas. That’s when I wrote ‘Midnight Moonlight.’ The song is about finding hope, even in despair, inspired by those warm nights and bright mornings in Old San Antone.”

The Musical Adventures of Peter Rowan

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Rowan met Jiménez in 1975 at The Blue Hole in Wimberley, Texas. He said he was living with “some smugglers” at the time. He had heard from David Grisman that Flaco and his band were playing at Irene Y Fidel’s Cantina on Blanco Road, near San Antonio. “We went to the show, I introduced myself, and he dedicated every song to me. At the end, after he’d finished his set, Flaco came out to the parking lot, and we played mandola and accordion together. The first song we played was ‘Never on Sunday.’” They became instant friends.

In 1978, Jiménez played accordion on Peter Rowan’s self-titled solo album (Flying Fish Records). They’ve played together on and off since.

Tales of the Free Mexican Airforce opens with “Mississippi California,” which bursts out like a bucking bull charging from the gate. In about three seconds, you realize this is not a bluegrass album. I’ll leave it to the listener to discover its meaning – but it’s unmistakably Rowan: an ironic tale that blends sorrow with joy, filled with love, humor, and hope.

I’ve been hearing versions of songs like “Oh, Liberty” since around 2021, both at live shows and in earlier demo recordings. Tales of the Free Mexican Airforce is the culmination of years of Rowan performing with Los Texmaniacs, whose members include Max Baca (bajo sexto), Josh Baca (accordion), Chris Rivera (drums), and Noel Hernandez (bass). This album captures the charge and power of those live performances.

When I asked Rowan if he was planning a tour to perform these songs, he wrote back, “We definitely play some of them in my Walls of Time band. I perfected these songs with Los Texmaniacs when we toured during and after COVID. But they are on their own path now.”

He added, “I think Flaco’s ‘María Elena’ is one of his most affecting performances – his mature style. But Flaco is not well. We were lucky to catch the energy of this music. His disciple, Josh Baca, has brought the accordion full circle.”

Rowan continued, “My brother Chris’s song ‘Bonita Señorita’ was a joy to record. I got to join the solo with Josh on electric guitar. On this album I used a beautiful handmade mandola, a Mexican classical guitar, and an Eastman archtop.”

Commenting on the songs he recorded for the first time on this album, he said, “My newer songs are a return to my roots. More bluegrassy.”

Turning 83 on July 4, 2025, Peter Rowan shows no signs of slowing down. Just look at his performance calendar – you’ll find a man crisscrossing the country week after week in search of that old, weird America that still exists… somewhere, somehow.

When I asked him what’s next, he replied: “A song cycle with grassy roots.”

For more information, please visit: Tales of the Free Mexican Airforce and Peter Rowan.

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