Nate Gibson & the Hi-Fly Rangers
BarleyPop Live 121 W. Main St., Madison, Wisconsin 53703
Tall and Small Photography
Nate Gibson
If you want to learn more about legendary Tennessee record label Starday, Nate Gibson is the man to ask: He wrote the essential book on the company, The Starday Story. Not only does he have the history down, the music is covered as well, as he’s been performing songs by the label’s artists for years. His new album, Nate Gibson & the Stars of Starday, features duets with 14 Starday artists and backing by Marty Stuart and his band, among many others. For this show, Gibson brings the music to life with Finnish rockabilly artists the Hi-Fly Rangers.
press release: Author and musician Nate Gibson has been championing Starday Records--the largest independent country music record label in the 1950s and ‘60s--and its brand of classic country, bluegrass, East Texas honky-tonk, and rockabilly music for nearly two decades. He wrote the definitive history of the record label (University Press of Mississippi, winner of the 2012 Belmont Book Award for Best Book on Country Music) and has collaborated with Starday artists and incorporated Starday songs into his own music since his debut album in 2001 with Yodelin’ Kenny Roberts. Since then, the St. Louis-born, Kansas-reared Madisonian has released six full-length albums as well as several EPs and singles for Cow Island Music, Goofin’ Records (Finland), Swelltune Records, and Bear Family Records (Germany).
Gibson’s latest recording project, Nate Gibson & the Stars of Starday (Bear Family Records), features Gibson dueting with 14 country music, bluegrass, and rockabilly legends who recorded for Starday in the 1950s and ‘60s. Backed by country music icon Marty Stuart, members of his Fabulous Superlatives band, and many more Nashville and Austin A-teamers, the double album features Bluegrass Hall of Famers (Jesse McReynolds, Bill Clifton, Little Roy Lewis), Rockabilly Hall of Famers (Sleepy LaBeef, Rudy “Tutti” Grayzell, Arnold Parker), and veterans of the Grand Ole Opry (Frankie Miller, June Stearns, Wade Jackson), Wheeling Jamboree (Darnell Miller, Betty Amos w/Judy & Jean), and Louisiana Hayride (Margie Singleton).
Recorded in Nashville (Tennessee), Austin (Texas), and Bloomington (Indiana), the album is a tour de force of classic country twang and a tribute to the pioneers and legends of country music who are still creating music well into their 80s and 90s. “I fell in love with Starday Records when I started collecting records and realized that many of my favorite songs were all released on the same record label,” says Gibson. “When I began writing The Starday Story, I befriended many of the musicians and label employees and the more I went to Nashville and Texas to do research, the more I ended up picking and singing with my friends. Very quickly I realized that not only are many of the original Starday artists still alive, but that many of them are still making music at a very high level. I wanted to record an album that would honor and amplify their music.”
Frankie Miller, the “Blackland Farmer” and one of those original Starday artists, says the admiration is mutual. “Nate Gibson’s great book is a must for country music lovers!” tells Miller. “Nate also produced this album with the original Starday artists and he done a great job on my songs. I wouldn’t even think that he would remember any of them as young as he is, but I think we did better cuts than my original versions! Thanks, Nate, for making my songs sound good. I love your work.”
For two Wisconsin nights in August, Gibson will be performing songs from the new Nate Gibson & the Stars of Starday album alongside Kari Kunnas (guitar) and Jarkko Lähdeniemi (upright bass) of the Finnish rockabilly group, the Hi-Fly Rangers. Gibson paired up with the Hi-Fly Rangers during Helsinki Rockabilly Week in 2011 and they have since reunited for several tours and festivals throughout Europe and the United States. The trio plays an eclectic mix of Starday-era classic country, rockabilly, western swing, and honky-tonk and for their Wisconsin shows they will be joined by the musical talents of Tim Moore (drums) and Mark Roeder (steel guitar). You can catch them at the Symco Hot Rod & Kustom Weekender (Fri. Aug 9, 9:30pm) in Symco, or at Barleypop Live (Sat. Aug 10, 9:30pm) in downtown Madison, WI. Further details about Gibson & the Hi-Fly Rangers can be found at www.nathandgibson.com.