Gibson Brothers Sign with Compass Records

Signing Photo
Gary West, Leigh Gibson, Eric Gibson & Alison Brown

The Gibson Brothers have signed a contract with Alison Brown and her husband Gary West‘s Compass Records to release their new CD. After four number one releases with Sugar Hill Records, this comes as something of a surprise, but Compass has an interesting and varied Americana/Bluegrass list as well as a number of other artists on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean. This change will inevitably create new opportunities for the band.

Eric Gibson

Leigh Gibson

Eric says this about the new, as yet untitled release, “We have recorded six originals, new songs by Shawn Camp/Paul Kennerly, Chet O'Keefe, Joe Newberry, and Marshall Warwick, and a relatively obscure Tom Petty song, "Angel Dream." Produced by Eric, Leigh, and Mike Barber, the entire album was recorded in 6 days with our road band (Mike Barber, bass; Clayton Campbell, fiddle, and Joe Walsh, mandolin) and guest resonator guitarist Mike Witcher. Gibson Brothers fans can count on this new title to have some surprises and some new sounds as well as the unique brother harmonies and artistic sensibility the Gibson Brothers are noted for.

Compass Studio "Hillbilly Heaven"

The new CD was recorded at the historic “Hillbilly Central” studio in Nashville, now the location of Compass Records. Some albums recorded there in the 1970’s include John Hartford’s “Aereoplane,” “Waylon Jennings “Dreaming My Dreams,” and “Wanted: The Outlaws,” as well as many others. Recently, Dale Ann Bradley, Pauline Scanlon, and Alison Brown have recorded there. Eric commented, “I was proud to look at ol’ Waylon on the wall knowing that he did his songs his own way with his own band in the very space we were recording."

Mike Barber

Clayton Campbell

Joe Walsh

Compass Records was founded in 1995 by Gary West and Alison Brown and currently is home to about 100 bluegrass, folk, Celtic, jazz, and new acoustic artists. According to Wikipedia, the label releases about twenty albums a year. Alison Brown attended Harvard University, earned her MBA at UCLA and worked at Smith Barney investment brokerage before devoting full time to music. She is recognized as one of the most creative banjo players in music.

Leigh & Eric Gibson

Leigh Gibson & Mike Barber

The Gibson Brothers have joined an organization which will give full range to their hard to classify but extraordinarily popular brand of bluegrass music. While never straying far from the bluegrass and classic country roots from which they come, The Gibson Brothers have used rock music and country music as the basis for bluegrass songs that are widely loved yet sufficiently accessible that they are frequently sung in the parking lot as well as from the stage. Their brother harmonies are surpassed by no one in today's bluegrass and Americana field. The addition of Joe Walsh on mandolin will prove to be a plus. The new CD will be released sometime this spring and will be eagerly awaited by many.