Red Beet Records is an independent record label based in Nashville, Tennessee.
History
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In 2003, label founder Eric Brace and his band Last Train Home moved to East Nashville[2] from the Washington, D.C. area. Brace had been a journalist at The Washington Post, and had run the Top Records label.[3]
Brace and Mary Ann Werner launched the Red Beet label in 2005, and they were soon joined by close friend Peter Cooper, musician, composer, and music writer for The Tennessean.[4]
Compilations and collaborations
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While Red Beet Records releases recordings by individual artists, one of their strengths has been compilations and collaborations by multiple artists.
The Other Side: Music From East Nashville
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Red Beet Records' initial release was the compilation The Other Side: Music From East Nashville to showcase local musicians such as Elizabeth Cook, Todd Snider, Chely Wright, Jon Byrd, Garrison Starr, and Thad Cockrell.[5][6] Red Beet subsequently followed up with Yuletide from The Other Side: More Music from East Nashville in 2007,[7] and More Music From The Other Side Vol.3.[8][9]
I Love: Tom T. Hall's Songs of Fox Hollow
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Red Beet's 2011 compilation album I Love: Tom T. Hall's Songs of Fox Hollow contains renditions of children's music composed by Tom T. Hall. The album was nominated for a Grammy Award. Contributors included Patty Griffin, Duane Eddy, Bobby Bare, and Buddy Miller.[10][11]
The Skylighters
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In 2006, Red Beet Records released The Skylighters, a bluegrass supergroup featuring Brace (guitar), Mike Auldridge (resonator guitar), Jimmy Gaudreau (mandolin), Jim Gray (bass), and Martin Lynds (percussion].[12]
You Don't Have to Like Them Both
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Besides running the Red Beet label, Bruce and Cooper toured frequently, and they released their first collaboration, You Don't Have to Like Them Both in 2009. The album included Brace/Cooper compositions, as well as songs by Jim Lauderdale, Todd Snider, Kris Kristofferson, and Paul Kennerly.[13][14]
The Lloyd Green Album
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Cooper collaborated with pedal steel guitarist Lloyd Green in 2010 on The Lloyd Green Album which showcases Green's virtuosity. Rodney Crowell, Kim Carnes, and Julie Lee provide harmonies.[15][16]
Master Sessions
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In 2010, Brace and Cooper released Master Sessions with Lloyd Green, Auldridge, Richard Bennett, Jen Gunderman, Pat McInerney, and Dave Roe, with Kenny Chesney and Jon Randall providing backing vocals.[17][18]
Hangtown Dancehall
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Released in 2014, Hangtown Dancehall: A Tale of the California Goldrush by Eric Brace & Karl Straub continued the story from the folk song "Sweet Betsy from Pike." It was both an album and a stage show, and featured Kelly Willis, Tim O'Brien, Darrell Scott, Jason Ringenberg, John Wesley Harding, and Andrea Zonn.[19][20][21]
Artists
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Here is a partial list of artists who have released recordings on the Red Beet label.