Allison Brown plans 10th release
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Allison Brown plans 10th release

Tuesday, December 9, 2008 – Banjo ace Alison Brown will release her 10th disc, "The Company You Keep" on her own Compass Records label in March 2009.

"'The Company You Keep' isn't solely a statement about me or my band, or about Compass Records. It's about independent music as a whole. The fact that we are all still here when you see closures, mergers and percentages down every day is a testament to real music, good music, music that matters. We're into our 15th year with this business model at Compass, and we're not struggling, we're thriving."

The title was originally inspired by the words of Spanish novelist Miguel de Cervantes (Don Quixote): "Tell me the company you keep, and I'll tell you what you are."

Brown realized the title actually held two meanings for her and for her music. "I've been writing, recording and performing my own tunes for nearly 20 years now," Brown said. "And as I thought about the progression of my sound - our band sound - I began to think about what a collaborative effort this musical journey has been. After 15 years of recording, performing and philosophizing about music with (pianist) John R Burr and (bassist) Garry West, I really wanted to draw that collaborative spirit to the forefront on this album."

The CD features Burr, West David Grisman Quintet alum Joe Craven (fiddle/mandolin/percussion) and Larry Atamanuik (drums) alongside guests John Doyle (guitar), Stuart Duncan (fiddle) and Kenny Malone (drums).

Brown is a Harvard alum, received her MBA from UCLA and worked as an investment banker before joining Alison Krauss and Union Station for a three year stint in 1989.


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CD reviews for Alison Brown

CD review - Song of the Banjo The banjo probably wins the award for most unappreciated musical instrument. When used in mainstream country today, it's generally within the first 20 seconds of a song before it's quickly drowned out by electric guitar and drums. Really though, it's a beautiful instrument with a long and noble history. In the hands of a master musician like Alison Brown, it shines as a lead instrument in any number of musical styles. Brown's "Song of the Banjo" features a fair ...
CD review - Live at Blair (CD/DVD) Recorded live at Vanderbilt University's Blair School of Music, the Alison Brown Quartet offers up a delightful mix of jazz and Irish-based folk music. Beginning with a nationwide tour of contests and festivals at age 16 with fiddler Stuart Duncan, Brown moved on to play with Alison Krauss and Michelle Shocked before forming her own group that includes husband and bassist Garry West. The two of them founded Compass Records. They are joined here (and often at shows) by Joe Craven, a multi-instrument virtuoso. ...
CD review - The Company You Keep Alison Brown is a well-known banjoist, who has played with some great names in bluegrass including Alison Krauss and Stuart Duncan, but this album best fits the jazz genre. She had a hand in writing or arranging eight of the numbers and shows her talent both as a composer and player. Stuart Duncan's fiddle on Rocket Summer and Drawing Down the Moon show why he is one of the best while Joe Craven (David Grisman Quintet) also fiddles. Long-time collaborators John R. Burr (piano) and husband ...


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