Alison Brown
No Boundaries
Photo by Russ Harrington
She has been called a Renaissance woman and a trailblazer and Alison Brown’s groundbreaking accomplishments certainly live up to those claims. While she is widely known as a banjo player, calling her a banjo player is like calling Picasso just a painter. Over the course of her distinguished career, Alison has worked hard at expanding perceptions of how the banjo is used and the types of music it can play. She is a sonic adventurer and with each album release listeners are treated to a unique experience.
Although Alison’s exploits have been well documented, often when an artist has “been there and done that” the years of work and sacrifice it took is overlooked. Alison’s pathway to her chosen profession was not a given. She started out playing guitar at 8 years old, but when she heard Flatt & Scruggs classic album Foggy Mountain Banjo she was hooked on the banjo. She began taking lessons at 10 years old and teamed up with master fiddler Stuart Duncan in her early teens and they traveled to various festivals and competed in a variety of competitions. At age 15 she won the Canadian National Banjo Championship and earned her and Stuart Duncan an appearance on the Grand Ole Opry. With all her early success, one might think Alison was destined for a career in bluegrass. However, she first made a detour to Harvard for her undergraduate degree and then on to UCLA for her MBA. She continued playing banjo in college with the Northern Lights band and found time to host a bluegrass radio show.
After graduation Alison became an investment banker, a position coveted by her fellow classmates but one she says was born out of pragmatism…not choice. It quickly became apparent her heart was not with Wall Street and she shares a story about often sitting at her desk with a copy of Bluegrass Unlimited hidden inside a copy of the Bond Buyer and dreaming about playing banjo. After a couple of years, fate would weigh in and a concert promoter Alison knew from her Harvard days put her in touch with another Alison…Alison Krauss. She was asked to join Alison Krauss and Union Station and she has not looked back. She stayed with Union Station for 3 years (1989-1991) and played banjo on Alison Krauss’ 1990 Grammy winning album I’ve Got That Old Feeling. She released her first solo album Simple Pleasures in 1990 to critical acclaim and received a Grammy nomination. In 1991 she notched another notable achievement when she became the first female in the International Bluegrass Music Association’s history to win not only “Banjo Player of the Year,” but also the first female to be named instrumentalist of the year on any instrument.
After 3 years playing in Union Station Alison was ready for other challenges, and she became the band leader for folk/rock artist Michele Shocked and began to further experiment with blending bluegrass, jazz and world music idioms and this approach has become a trademark of her music. While in Stockholm on tour with Michele Shocked an event took place that would forever change Alison’s life. One evening while hanging out with the bass player and her future husband Garry West, they discussed what they called “The Good Life” and on the back of a napkin they sketched what it would look like. First, they started with drawing a wheel and then took turns adding and labeling the spokes as record label, touring band, recording studio, publishing, management and home. That simple drawing on the back of a napkin became her roadmap. If you take time to examine the trajectory of her career, you will see just how closely she followed her map. Alison is a case study in the adage “plan your work…work your plan.
At the conclusion of the tour fortune once again smiled on Alison when an angel investor, after hearing her on NPR’s All Things Consider, was impressed enough to provide Alison and Garry with enough seed capital to launch their record label and the first release came out on Compass Records in 1994. Some artists launch vanity labels to handle the release of only their own material. That was never Alison’s intent. Her interest was in championing a variety of Americana, bluegrass and Celtic music. In the 28 years since the founding of Compass Records, it has become a premier independent label that is internationally well-known and respected. There have been challenges along the way, perhaps none bigger than the advent of streaming music services and the COVID pandemic. However, Compass Records has persevered and evolved into a full-service enterprise. Their catalog through a series of label acquisitions, including Red House Records in 2017, now spans nearly 1,000 albums and continues to grow. The list of renowned bluegrass artists in their catalog includes such folks as Molly Tuttle, Missy Raines, Michael Cleveland, Bobby Osborne, Rob Ickes & Trey Hensley and Special Consensus. Those names represent a fraction of the type of talent associated with Compass Records. They can attract top-notch talent because artists know they are going to receive service and support second to none provided by a fellow artist who understands the business.
While she was busy helping grow Compass Records, Alison continued to leave her mark as a performer. In 1996 she formed the Alison Brown Quartet in order to bring her compositions to life and to continue her mission to expand the role of the banjo. In 1999 she joined forces with Tim O’Brien, Darol Anger and Mike Marshall touring and recording in the Americana band New Grange. Alison identifies this experience as the genesis of her love of Brazilian music. How many banjo players can cite their music was played as the official wakeup music on a space mission? The crew of U.S. Space Shuttle Destiny were treated to Alison’s song “Girl’s Breakdown” from her Fair Weather album to begin their day during their mission to the International Space Station. She won a Grammy for “Best Country Instrumental” for the song “Leaving Cottondale” a duet with Bela Fleck. Alison was honored in 2014 with the Artists Berresford Fellowship, a $50,000 grant given to artists who have made significant contributions in their field of endeavor.
In 2019 she performed as a member of the “First Ladies of Bluegrass,” a group featuring the first women to win the IBMA Award in their instrument categories. She received another notable honor in 2019 when she was inducted into the American Banjo Hall of Fame. The above listing is just a sampling of Alison’s accomplishments. Over the course of her career one thing has remained consistent…she has always overcome and risen to the top.
An Alison Brown release of new music is always something to celebrate. It has been sometime since her last release, the well-received 2015 Song of the Banjo. In May she released a new album simply called On Banjo and its taste, variety and originality quickly propelled it to #1 on Billboard in the Bluegrass Album category. It builds on Alison’s strengths as a banjo player and composer as she casts her spell throughout the album’s 10 cuts. The recording features her quartet with Alison on banjo, banjola and guitar; Garry West-bass; Chris Walters-piano; John Ragusa-flutes; and Jordan Perlson-drums and percussion. Additionally, she enlists the assistance of several notable guest artists to assist her in bringing her music to life.
The album is a mixture of bluegrass, country, jazz, and Latin stylings including Brazilian Choro with the banjo front and center and the other instruments adding texture and depth to the songs. “Foggy Mountain Breaking” is a laid-back tune co-written with Steve Martin. It features his clawhammer banjo playing weaving in and out perfectly complimenting Alison’s flowing style. “Wind the Clock” is an infectious toe tapping hopeful piece that takes its title from a quote by American author E.B. White: “Hang on to your hat, Hang on to your hope. And wind the clock, for tomorrow is another day.” On “Regalito” was written with classical guitarist Sharon Isbin in mind is a syncopated dance between banjo and guitar that leaves the listener wanting more. On “Tall Hog at the Trough” Alison is reunited with her old friend and master fiddler Stuart Duncan on a classic sounding banjo/fiddle duet. Always one to push the envelope, it should come as no surprise to anyone familiar with Alison’s music that she would include an original Brazilian Choro piece on the album. If you are unfamiliar with the style, think of it as the New Orleans jazz of Brazil. Acclaimed jazz clarinetist Anat Cohen is featured on this cut and her playing soars with smooth cascading melodies. “Sweet Sixteenths” pairs Alison with Sierra Hull in an energetic blistering show of technique that brings to mind a classical etude. Always one willing to take a chance, Alison combines the Beatles song “Here Comes the Sun” with Brazilian composer Antonio Carlos Jobin’s song “Waters of the March.” The piece is a perfect vehicle for Alison’s “Julia Belle” Deering banjo. Alison worked with Deering to build a banjo that was an upgraded version of John Hartford’s low banjo prototype. The low tuning of the banjo creates the perfect underpinning allowing the flute to take flight spinning melodic improvisational lines.
On Banjo is indeed an ambitious outing given all its different moods and musical styles. However, Alison makes it all work in a seamless fashion. The sequencing of songs is perfect, providing smooth track transition and avoiding the pitfall of a disjointed, unconnected recording.
Not one to take it easy, Alison is currently out on tour promoting the new release and putting smiles on the faces of longtime fans and undoubtedly winning over new ones. In addition to the release of On Banjo, She recently finished producing Special Consensus’ latest album Great Blue North and she is in the final stages of production on Missy Raines upcoming release Highlander. Alison is excited about joining forces with ArtistWorks.
ArtistWorks is well-known for providing outstanding online music instruction. She will be joining a stable full of bluegrass heavyweights that includes Bryan Sutton, Sierra Hull, Andy Hall, Tony Trischka, Mike Marshall, Missy Raines and Darol Anger. Alison’s course is designed to help the aspiring banjo player gain the skill and confidence to be able to hold their own in a jam session.
On May 22, she was honored and privileged to take part in the Country Music Hall of Fame & Museum officially accepting the donation of Earl Scruggs’ iconic Granada banjo. Alison performed “Earl’s Breakdown” on Earl’s Granada in what was truly a memorable event.
Alison Brown, savvy businesswoman, roots music champion and banjo innovator. She has spent her career ignoring the norm and charting her own course. Who knows what her next venture will be, but whatever it is sign me up. She continues to be a formidable force in the world of music and one thing is certain…investment banking’s loss has been music lovers’ gain.
