Alison Brown - Franklin Theatre

Alison Brown performs at the Franklin Theatre on Saturday night. 

 Lauren Blake

The Alison Brown Quintet filled the Franklin Theatre with the sound of Tennessee's roots Saturday night.

That evening, dozens of dedicated bluegrass fans from Middle Tennessee took the seats inside the venue — some who even followed the band straight from Earl Scruggs Music Fest. The Alison Brown Quintet took the stage just after 8 p.m. with her husband and bassist Garry West, flutist John Ragusa, pianist Jody Nardone and drummer Bryan Brock.

Ragusa almost stole the show with a range of flute ensembles, playing a contrabass flute and two piccolos at the same time. He also played an impressive fiddle-to-flute converted piece of a tune from the classic cartoon “Porky Pig.” Nardone brought down the house on piano and occasionally took turns on vocals with West for songs.

 

The quintet's stage display was simple but gave a raw ambience: a baby grand piano, an assortment of flutes and a drum kit sitting on an old rug. 

Brown's outfit performed for an hour and a half with a 15-minute intermission. The setlist included some original songs, such as “Foggy Morning Breaking” and “Bluegrass Radio” off of the collaborative album “Safe, Sensible and Sane” with Steve Martin.

She also picked away at a banjo rendition of Cyndi Lauper's “Time After Time.” Her quintet also played a few other covers, including “Here Comes the Sun” by The Beatles and a cover of “I Will Always Love You” to honor the late Dolly Parton. 

She also performed her cover of The Stanley Brothers' “Born to Ride,” which featured Parton, who recently died in August. The song came out after her death. Brown told Williamson Scene about the collaboration and working with Parton before the show.

The cover was recently featured on a compilation album West and Brown produced, paying tribute to The Stanley Brothers. Concertgoers also got the scoop about the quintet's upcoming show, Where the Soul Never Dies: An 80th Anniversary Tribute to the Stanley Brothers. The show is on Oct. 28 and will feature many of the album's guests, such as the First Ladies of Bluegrass, Chris Eldridge and Dierks Bentley.