Alison Brown - Celebrating 30 Years of Compass Records

My guest this week is Alison Brown.

Alison was the first woman to win an IBMA award in an instrumental category, winning Banjo Player of the Year in 1991. She's also a sought after producer, with credits including Dale Ann Bradley, Peter Rowan, Missy Raines and Bobby Osborne and she spent three years as a member of Alison Krauss's band Union Station.

She joins me to talk about another long standing project, Compass records, the label she co-founded in the '90s with her husband Garry West.

We talk about Alison's background and how Compass grew from a sketch on the back of a napkin to being one of the most celebrated independent labels in roots music. We also discuss how the music industry has changed over the three decades Compass has been around and what that means, for the label and for artists.

We also pick out a few of Alison's favourite releases (and mine!) and chat about what's next for her, including presenting the IBMA Bluegrass Music Awards with Steve Martin, who she has a new record with, due out in October.

Over the course of the episode there are excerpts from some of the albums we discuss. You'll hear (in order of appearance):

- 'Paint it Shut' - Phillps, Grier and Flinner

- 'Weetabix' - New Grange

- 'Longhair Bluegrass' - Robbie Fulks

- '5 Days Out 2 Days Back' - Alison Brown and Steve Martin, feat. Tim O'Brien

For more info and to buy Compass releases, visit the Compass Records website

Here's the episode of the podcast celebrating Phillips, Grier & Flinner

Happy picking,

Matt

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Thanks to Bryan Sutton for his wonderful theme tune to Bluegrass Jam Along (and to Justin Moses for playing the fiddle!)

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