Alison Brown has changed a lot of people’s impression of the banjo; it’s sound, it’s role in music (not just bluegrass)and the kind of songs which allow the instrument to shine. Her career is full of successful recordings resulting in countless IBMA and Grammy Awards; all culminating in 2015’s Distinguished Service Award from the International Bluegrass Music Association. Despite these honors, she was gracious enough to spend some time with me to talk about her career, her unique sound, her latest version of her Quartet and her upcoming show at Watermelon Wednesday’s concert series on 6/29 (Friday, truth be told). We talked about her role in advancing gender equity in bluegrass/americana music, both as a performer and co-founder of the prestigous Compass Record label. Our conversation touched on the role of cover tunes as well as a sneak peek at this fall’s Freshgrass Festival!

Of course, we played a half dozen tunes along the way. I hope you’ll give it a listen, she was a joy to talk to.