Banjo virtuoso Alison Brown has worn many hats. She’s been a member of Alison Krauss’s band, Union Station, musical director for Michele Shocked, and the musical partner of Steve Martin. She’s also run a label, a position she was uniquely qualified for, as she holds an MBA from UCLA. She’s also released a number of well-received albums, in which she pushes the banjo in new and interesting directions.
Over two sets at The Hamilton Live on Sunday, Alison showed off her picking skills with a variety of instrumentals and covers of classic songs.
One fine example of Alison’s commitment to innovation is her composition, “Chorro ‘Nuff,” in which she adapts her instrument to that Brazilian musical style. The title also demonstrates her sense of humor, which also came out later in the first set on Oct. 11 when she said her keys player “enjoys dark Scandinavian literature and long walks on the beach in Nashville.” During the set, she did a bit about a union-mandated break for some of the band, during which they soak their feet in an inflatable kiddie pool full of jello.
Alison even poked a bit of fun at herself. Introducing “Tall Hog at the Trough,” which they played totally acoustic, no monitors or amplification. She wrote it after bluegrass giants Byron Berline and Tony Hickman passed away. “I wanted to write a tune to honor their memory,” she said. “Instead, I wrote this.” Earlier in the set, when she stopped to tune, she quipped that banjo players “spend half their time tuning and the other half playing out of tune.” She also lovingly described her husband and player, Gary West, who also does most of the vocals, as “the best vocalist in his price range.”
Watch Alison Brown perform “Tall Hog at the Trough” live with Stuart Duncan on YouTube:
John Hartford is also a major influence on Brown. Her low banjo — which is tuned lower and has heavier strings — is inspired by the one John used. Her composition “Foggy Mountain Breaking” was inspired by Hartford, and they did his most famous song, “Gentle On My Mind,” (best known from Glen Campbell’s cover) in the second set.
The first set kicked off with an instrumental, followed by Fred Neill’s “Everybody’s Talking,” which was made famous Harry Nillson. They did lovely instrumental covers of George Harrison’s “Here Comes The Sun” and Cyndi Lauper’s “Time After Time, finishing with their “Appalachian Celtic Medley.”
After intermission, they started with another instrumental. She showed the range of her influences: “The Sound of Summer” was inspired by a Ray Bradbury story, while “The Clean Plate Club” was inspired Benny Goodman. I can only assume “The Magnificent Seven” was inspired the classic Western film. Marvin Gaye’s “What’s Going On?” was both unexpected and beautiful.
The evening was a family affair: Brown brough her and Gary’s son, a sophomore studying international relations at George Washington, for their encore. That was a tribute to Earl Scruggs, “Girl’s Breakdown,” a play on his classic “Foggy Mountain Breakdown.” I would hate to have a breakdown on a foggy mountain; how would anyone ever find me?
Jokes aside, this was a wonderful evening. Brown’s talents as a player are impressive enough, but the real icing on the cake are the unconventional ways she uses those talents and her instrument. I also very much enjoyed her sense of humor.
