Compass Records Signs Bluegrass Band Frank Solivan & Dirty Kitchen

Frank Solivan & Dirty KitchenCompass Records is proud to welcome Frank Solivan & Dirty Kitchen to its award-winning bluegrass roster.  Fresh off their nomination for the 2012 International Bluegrass Music Association's Emerging Artist of the Year Award, the band will release their Compass Records debut album On The Edge on April 30, 2013. Compass co-owner Garry West welcomes the new addition: “Frank and his excellent band have been making waves in the bluegrass world over the past few years – including their IBMA nomination for Emerging Artist last year - and we're delighted that they have chosen to align with Compass.  They are clearly a band on the rise and we are really looking forward to working with them and achieving great things together.”

Frank Solivan and his band of fiery pickers are a natural fit with Compass’ acclaimed bluegrass roster. “All of our hard work seems to have paid off because Garry West and Alison Brown said they wanted to release our latest recording project,” comments Solivan, “’Honored’ was the first feeling that came over me, then ‘excitement.’ I'm so happy to be part of the Compass family. I love their philosophy of fostering long-term relationships with their artists. That's what I'm all about.”

Their forthcoming album On The Edge showcases one of the most exciting and dynamic new bands in bluegrass. With virtuoso guests Tim O’Brien, Rob Ickes and vocalist Megan McCormick joining Solivan’s skilled team of pickers, the album's 10 tracks virtually jump off of the CD as the band applies the muscle of traditional bluegrass and finesse of newgrass to material that reaches across the bluegrass and Americana spectrum. Frank Solivan’s tenor vocals soar over virtuosic picking provided by banjoist Mike Munford, guitarist Chris Luquette and bassist Danny Booth. With the release of On The Edge Frank Solivan & Dirty Kitchen are poised to become one of the most sought after bands in bluegrass.

Compass Records has been called “one of the greatest independent labels of the last decade” by Billboard Magazine. The label group is home to a critically acclaimed cadre of bluegrass artists including the Gibson Brothers (IBMA 2012 Entertainers of the Year), Peter Rowan, Claire Lynch, Special Consensus and more.  Compass received 2 of the 5 Grammy nominations in the bluegrass category in 2012 and is looking forward to another strong year in bluegrass with spring releases from Peter Rowan and Claire Lynch.  Compass Records Group is also home to artists across the spectrum of roots music including Colin Hay, BeauSoleil, Irish supergroup Altan, Victor Wooten and many others.  Through the acquisition of Green Linnet and Mulligan Records, Compass Records Group hosts the largest active catalog of Celtic music in the world and also handles distribution for UK-based folk music label Navigator Records and the iconic Americana imprint Dead Reckoning.