Alison Brown
A banjo player who arrived by way of jazz and a finance career, running a record label by day and rewriting what five strings do by night.
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About Alison Brown
Alison Brown grew up in California and studied at Harvard before taking an MBA at UCLA and working in investment banking. She left finance to play banjo with Alison Krauss and Union Station, then led Michelle Shocked's touring band before forming her own group.
In the 1990s she and her husband, bassist Garry West, co-founded Compass Records in Nashville, which has released her albums alongside a wide roster of roots and Celtic acts. Her own records set the banjo against jazz harmony, Latin rhythms and pop melody, often with piano and drums in the band. She was the first woman named IBMA Banjo Player of the Year, and her tune "Leaving Cottondale," recorded with Béla Fleck, won a Grammy for country instrumental performance.
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Questions about Alison Brown
What festivals is Alison Brown playing in 2027?
Alison Brown is booked at 1 festival we cover: MerleFest 2027.
Is Alison Brown playing MerleFest 2027?
Yes, Alison Brown is on the MerleFest 2027 lineup, April 29 – May 2, 2027 at Wilkes Community College, Wilkesboro, NC. They play Saturday, May 1.
Where is Alison Brown from?
Alison Brown is from Nashville, TN.
What kind of music does Alison Brown play?
Alison Brown plays bluegrass and newgrass.
What festivals has Alison Brown played before?
Alison Brown has played Hardly Strictly Bluegrass 2026.