Much like Starday Records, whose slogan was “Preserving Our Nation’s Musical Heritage,” so too is Nate Gibson. Gibson’s book, The Starday Story: The House That Country Music Built, won the 2012 Belmont Book Award for Best Book on Country Music and his music has been released on Bear Family Records (Germany), Swelltune Records, Goofin’ Records (Finland), and Cow Island Music. Gibson’s latest release, Nate Gibson & the Stars of Starday, features him duetting with 14 country music stars since the 1950s and 60s, accompanied by Country Music Hall of Famer Marty Stuart and members of his Fabulous Superlatives band, and was selected by Country Music People magazine as one of the “Top 10 Country Music Albums of 2019.”

As a performer, Gibson has entertained at many national and international festivals including the New England Shake-Up, the Screamin’ Festival (Spain), Green Bay’s Rockin’ ’50s Fest, Viva Las Vegas, Montreal’s Red Hot & Blue Rockabilly Weekend (Canada), Helsinki Rockabilly Week (Finland), the Fryeburg Fair, Symco Weekender, Viking Cruises (Sweden-Finland), Ruuhijärvi Rockabilly Festival (Finland), the Indianapolis Road Rockets Rumble, and many others. Information about each Nate Gibson album is below and you can listen to and purchase any album by clicking on the album cover below, visiting nategibson.bandcamp.com, or buying directly from your favorite local record shop!

 

Nate Gibson & the Stars of Starday

A Personal Note: This is pretty much my favorite thing ever. Not only did I get to make a record with my Starday music heroes, I was able to do it with Marty Stuart, members of his Fabulous Superlatives band (Chris Scruggs and Kenny Vaughan), and many more extremely talented musicians and friends.

Label and Release: Bear Family Productions BCD17588 [CD]/ Gibson Records NG-2019 [2xLP]

Producer: Nate Gibson

Recorded and Mixed by: Mike Bridavsky (Russian Recording), Cris Burns (Ameripolitan Studios), Drew Carroll (The Bomb Shelter), Eddie Duquesne (The Bomb Shelter), Jon Estes (The Bomb Shelter), Bobby Flores (B.A.M. Recording Studios), Nate Gibson, Buck Jarrell (Buck's Place Recording), Roy Kay (Madrona Ranch), and Rich Morpurgo (Midwest Audio Recording)

Mastered by: Tom Meyer (Master & Servant)

Cover Art by: Nate Gibson (puppets by Ken Vogel)

Design by: Sven Uhrmann, Retrograph

Introduction to Notes: Marty Stuart, Frankie Miller

Liner Notes: Nate Gibson

Track Listing: 1. Rain Rain (Frankie Miller & Nate Gibson) 2. 18 Wheels A Rolling (Betty Amos with Judy & Jean & Nate Gibson) 3. Lonely (Sleepy LaBeef & Nate Gibson) 4. Little White Washed Chimney (Bill Clifton & Nate Gibson) 5. Pardon Me (Jesse McReynolds & Nate Gibson) 6. Find A New Woman (Arnold Parker & Nate Gibson) 7. Royal Flush (Darnell Miller & Nate Gibson) 8. Saints Banjo March (Little Roy Lewis & Nate Gibson) 9. Let's Get Wild (Rudy "Tutti" Grayzell & Nate Gibson) 10. We've Got Things In Common (June Stearns & Nate Gibson) 11. All the Time (Sleepy LaBeef & Nate Gibson) 12. On the Cross (Margie Singleton & Nate Gibson) 13. Ain't No Room In the Church (Little Roy Lewis & Nate Gibson) 14. Duck Tail (Rudy "Tutti" Grayzell & Nate Gibson) 15. Nobody But You (Jesse McReynolds & Nate Gibson) 16. Mark of Cain (Darnell Miller & Nate Gibson) 17. Second Fiddle (To An Old Guitar) (Betty Amos with Judy & Jean & Nate Gibson) 18. My Special Dream (Margie Singleton & Nate Gibson) 19. Sippin' On A Sud (Wade Jackson & Nate Gibson) 20. Back To You (Darnell Miller & Nate Gibson) 21. Mary Dear (Bill Clifton & Nate Gibson) 22. Family Man (Frankie Miller & Nate Gibson) 23. Slippin' Around (June Stearns & Nate Gibson) 24. I'm Through (Sleepy LaBeef & Nate Gibson) 25. The Spook (Nate Gibson - CD Only)

Musicians: Tim Atwood - piano; Dena El Saffar - fiddle; Pete Finney - pedal steel guitar; Nate Gibson - vocals, acoustic guitar, upright bass; Steve Hinson - electric guitar, pedal steel guitar; Bobby Horton - steel guitar; Timon Kaple - bass six; Kevin Kathey - drums; Mike Lee - acoustic guitar; Little Roy Lewis - banjo, acoustic guitar; Carl Sonny Leyland - piano; Lizzy Long - fiddle, vocals; Jesse McReynolds - mandolin; John McTigue III - drums; Jerry Miller - electric guitar, acoustic guitar, pedal steel guitar, mandolin, dobro; Tim Moore - drums; Dave Roe - upright bass; Joe Rucker - backing vocals; Chris Scruggs - drums, steel guitar, electric guitar, upright bass, dobro; Kevin Smith - upright bass; Lonnie Spiker - electric bass, backing vocals; Marty Stuart - mandolin; Bobby Trimble - drums; Tom Umberger - electric guitar; Kenny Vaughan - electric guitar, acoustic guitar

 

Nate Gibson - Got Another Baby b/w Duck Butt

A Personal Note: Back in 2016 I had the privilege of recording at Todd Hutchisen's Acadia Recording Studio in Portland, ME. He had just purchased and rebuilt the original Event Records studio, so I booked a session with my pals Sean Mencher (from High Noon) and Matt Robbins and Kris Day (from King Memphis). Al and Barbara Hawkes were kind enough to put me up for the night and Al even came by the studio to hang out and loan me Lenny Breau's 1930's Gibson guitar for the session. It was such a fun session with great friends, talented musicians, and amazing equipment. I highly recommend Todd's studio to everyone who digs vintage analog gear, especially those who want to record on the same audio equipment that first captured the sounds of Dick Curless, Curtis Johnson, Ricky Coyne, Lenny Breau, the Lilly Brothers w/ Don Stover, and so many more!

Label and Release:Swelltune Records SR45-002

Producer: Sean Mencher

Recorded and Mixed by: Todd Hutchisen (Acadia Recording Co., Portland, ME)

Mastered by: Shorty Poole

Design by: Beck Rustic

Track Listing: 1. Got Another Baby 2. Duck Butt

Musicians: Nate Gibson (guitar, vocals), Kris Day (upright bass, backing vocals), Matt Robbins (electric guitar, backing vocals), Sean Mencher (backing vocals)

 

Nate Gibson & Friends (The Barnshakers, Deke Dickerson, Double K, The Hi-Fly Rangers, Wyatt Maxwell, Sean Mencher, Jerry Miller, Lester Peabody, and many more) – The Starday Sessions

A Personal Note: This one's a rockin' tribute to my favorite record label, Starday Records. When I began writing The Starday Story, more and more Starday songs were added to my repertoire. This album is a collection of some of my favorite songs recorded with some of my favorite musicians (and people!). It is dedicated to the many Starday artists who befriended me and contributed to the Starday book and radio documentary. I couldn't possibly record songs by every Starday artist on this single album, but included here are loving tributes to my friends Glenn Barber, Luke Gordon, Rudy "Tutti" Grayzell, Orangie Ray Hubbard, Rose Lee Maphis, Ralph Stanley, and many others. ¡Viva la Starday!

Label and Release: Goofin' GRCD 6177

Producer: Nate Gibson

Recorded and Mixed by: Al Hawkes, Marko Julkunen, K. Kunnas, and Mike Lee

Mastered by: Mike Bridavsky, Russian Recording

Design by: Nate Gibson and Rhumboogie Design, Cover Photo: Tall and Small Photography

Liner Notes: Starday rockabilly legend, Rudy "Tutti" Grayzell

Track Listing: 1. Shadow My Baby (with the Hi-Fly Rangers) 2. Hot Time in Nashville (with Deke Dickerson and Jerry Miller) 3. The Woman I Love (with the Barnshakers) 4. How Come You Do Me Like You Do (with Jerry Miller) 5. Sweet Love (with the Hi-Fly Rangers) 6. I'd Rather Be Forgotten (with the Grass House Gang feat. Sean Mencher) 7. Baby's Gone (with Jerry Miller) 8. Where There's A Will (with the Barnshakers) 9. I Don't Want A Sweetheart (with the Hi-Fly Rangers) 10. Daisy May (with Jerry Miller) 11. I Gotta Know (with the Grass House Gang feat. Sean Mencher) 12. Jig-Ga-Lee-Ga (with Wyatt Maxwell) 13. Down In the Holler (with the Hi-Fly Rangers) 14. Carolina Bound (with Jerry Miller) 15. Y'all Come (with Deke Dickerson)

Musicians: Nate Gibson (vocals, acoustic guitar), Eric Bindler (backing vocals), Deke Dickerson (electric guitar, eefing), Double K (electric guitar), Peter Ermey (backing vocals), Al Hawkes (mandolin), Jake Kamp (upright bass), Shane Kiel (upright bass), Adam Lee (handclaps, fingersnaps), Mike Lee (backing vocals), Mika Liikari (upright bass), Carter Logan (banjo), Jake Lähdeniemi (upright bass), Kevin MacDowell (backing vocals), Derek Malone (upright bass), Wyatt Maxwell (electric guitar, upright bass, handclaps, fingersnaps), Sean Mencher (electric guitar), Collin Miles (backing vocals), Jerry Miller (electric guitar), Emma O'Donnell (fiddle), Zach Ovington (fiddle), Lester Peabody (electric guitar), Thomas Grant Richardson (backing vocals), Jeremy Shere (backing vocals)

 

Nate Gibson with the Hi-Fly Rangers – Shadow My Baby

A Personal Note: While touring in support of The Starday Story in 2011, I paired up with Finland's renowned Hi-Fly Rangers to perform a Starday rockabilly tribute during Helsinki Rockabilly Week. We had a ball doing our wild rockabilly trio thing and got together the following winter to make these recordings in Järvenpää and Ohkala, Finland. Released prior to our U.S. summer tour alongside Johnny Carlevale, Eddie Clendening, the Roy Kay Trio, Kim Lenz & her Jaguars, Sean Mencher, and many others, the CD was quickly sold out.

SOLD OUT!

Producer: Nate Gibson and K. Kunnas

Recorded and Mixed by: K. Kunnas at Mudlake Garage Social Club, Jarvenpää and Stardust Project Room, Ohkola, Finland

Mastered by: Mike Bridavsky, Russian Recording

Design: Nate Gibson and K. Kunnas

Track Listing: 1. Shadow My Baby 2. I Don't Want A Sweetheart 3. Two Timer 4. Some Words 5. Move Around 6. Don't Do It 7. Open Your Eyes 8. Too Much Water 9. Don't Push-Don't Shove 10. Out Of My Mind

Musicians: Nate Gibson (vocals, acoustic guitar), Double K (electric guitar), Jake Lähdeniemi (backing vocals, upright bass)

 

Nate Gibson – GO! GO! GO!

A Personal Note: I used to love watching the Spurs, the Coachmen, and Jack Smith and the Rockabilly Planet when I lived in Boston. The sonic fireworks shot off from Jerry Miller's Gretsch never ceased to amaze me. Then I moved to Bloomington, Indiana for graduate school and found out that Jerry, when not on tour with Eilen Jewell, was also spending his time in Bloomington. I called on my St. Lou buddies Shane Kiel (Wayne Hancock, Two Timin' Three) and Jake Kamp (Kim Lenz & her Jaguars) and we arranged a few sessions. It felt just like old times… We did some rockabilly, some western swing. A little bit of gospel. I wrote my first song in the Finnish language and even busted out the Jaminator toy guitar for one song. It was, in two words, a blast! Available as a CD or a Limited Edition vinyl release of only 300 copies, featuring bowling ball-esque swirled vinyl and individually hand-printed jacket sleeves by Amanda Lee!

Label and Release: Gibson Records NG-2012

Produced by: Nate Gibson and Mike Lee

Recorded and Mixed by: Mike Lee, at The Stereophonic Headquarters for the Rise of the Omnimodern Epoch

Mastered by: Mike Bridavsky, Russian Recording

Artwork and Design: Amanda Lee

Track Listing: 1. Daisy May 2. How Come You Do Me Like You Do 3. I Got Along Without You Before I Met You (I Can Get Along Without You Now) 4. Little Red Barn 5. Crazy Blues 6. An Immaculate Confection (The Necco Song) 7. Evenin' Time 8. Nater B. Goode 9. Ain't No Room In the Church For Liars 10. Kentucky Means Paradise 11. Muka Rakastit 12. King of the Open Road

Musicians: Nate Gibson (vocals, acoustic guitar, jaminator), Jake Kamp (upright bass – 3, 4, 7, 8, 9 12), Shane Kiel (upright bass – 1, 2, 5, 6, 10, 11), Jerry Miller (electric guitar, pedal steel guitar), Betsy Shepherd (backing vocals, handclaps, and fingersnaps – 7, 8), The Vallures – Jes Franco, Libby Scherer, & Laura Wanner (backing vocals, handclaps, and fingersnaps – 5, 7, 8, 11)

 

Nate Gibson & the Grass House Gang

A Personal Note: Several years ago I had an opportunity to record with Al Hawkes. Al founded Event Records in Westbrook, Maine back in 1956 and recorded some of my favorite records by Dick Curless, Lenny Breau, the Lilly Brothers and Don Stover, Curtis Johnson, Ricky Coyne, Hal Lone Pine & Betty Cody, and so many more greats. Al and I share a mutual love for bluegrass, honky-tonk, and rockabilly and so we organized a rockin' bluegrass recording session at Event with friends from the Sean Mencher Combo, Girl Howdy, Jerks of Grass, and Jittery Jack. Al played on two tracks and we even re-recorded Al's original "Baby, Baby" rockabilly masterpiece in a bluegrass style! My pal Fred Chao completed the project with his incredible artistic touch.

Label and Release: Gibson Records

Producer: Al Hawkes

Recorded and Mixed by: Al Hawkes, Event Recording Studios

Mastered by: Chris Cugini, Appleman Studios

Artwork and Design: Fred Chao

Track Listing: 1. I Gotta Know 2. I'd Rather Be Forgotten 3. (Back Home Again In) Indiana 4. I'm Through Lovin' You 5. Baby, Baby

Musicians: Nate Gibson (vocals, acoustic guitar), Al Hawkes (mandolin), Carter Logan (banjo), Derek Malone (upright bass), Sean Mencher (electric guitar), Emma O'Donnell (fiddle), Zach Ovington (fiddle)

 

Nate Gibson & the Gashouse Gang – All the Way Home

A Personal Note: Our second album was just the second to be released on Cow Island Music, which has gone on to release fantastic albums by JP Harris & the Tough Choices, Big Sandy and his Fly-Rite Boys, Arty Hill, Janis Martin, Teri Joyce, Preacher Jack, the Starline Rhythm Boys, and other rockin' honky-tonk goodness. We had a blast recording for them our original songs of truck driving, trolley driving, crappy hunting dogs and more, as well as our favorite honky-tonk, Hawaiian, boogie, and rockabilly obscurities (such as the Spinal Tap title track). My pal Don Pierce, Co-Founder and President of Starday Records, even wrote the liner notes for it. Sadly, Don passed away just two weeks after having the introduction, intermission, and outro recorded. Then, just as we were about to have our CD release party, my good friend and bass player for the previous six years, Jon Johnson, also passed away. They are dearly missed and this album is dedicated to them both.

Label and Release: Cow Island Music CIM 002

Producer: Nate Gibson

Recorded and Mixed by: Chris Cugini, Appleman Studios, Additional Recording: Phil Aiken, Federico House, Stoughton, MA and Beaverwood Studios, Hendersonville, TN

Mastered by: Matt Azevedo, M Works, Cambridge, MA

Artwork by: Nate Gibson & Garet McIntyre, Cover Photo: Rex Trailer

Liner Notes: Don Pierce

Track Listing: 1. Intro 2. All the Way Home 3. My Blackbirds Are Bluebirds Now 4. Don't Wait 5. My Heart Gets Lonely 6. The Hukilau Song 7. Who Shot Willie 8. Intermission 9. We Need A Whole Lot More of Jesus (And A Lot Less Rock and Roll) 10. Ol' Roy 11. Trolley Tour Boogie 12. The Auctioneer 13. Divorce Me C.O.D. 14. Wal-Mart Wino 15. My Big 18 16. Outro

Musicians: Nate Gibson (vocals, acoustic guitar, trumpet), Clyde Beavers (recitation), the Legendary Rich Gilbert (steel guitar), Jeffrey Herring (electric guitar), Jon Johnson (upright bass), Tommy Long (drums), Lynnette Lynker (vocals), Matt Petitpas (backing vocals), Travis 'Daddy-O' Quam (melodica), Kevin Stevenson (vocals), Steve Toebes (piano)

 

Nate Gibson & the Gashouse Gang with Rex Trailer and Kenny Roberts

A Personal Note: As part of my undergraduate songwriting thesis at Emerson College I had to write and record at least ten original songs under the supervision of New England cowboy legend Rex Trailer. On our first day of songwriting together we took a snack break and discovered that we were each chomping on Necco wafers. It was the beginning of a lifelong friendship. While writing songs, we learned that Kenny Roberts, the "Jumping Cowboy" and the "King of the Yodelers," was living nearby. We invited Kenny to sing and yodel with us and we were overjoyed by his response. A few sessions were booked with backing from my friends in Boston's best rockin' bands: the Racketeers, Dave Aaronoff & the Details, the Bombastics, the Bourbonaires, the Kings of Nuthin', the Shods, the Stumbleweeds, and many more.

SOLD OUT!

Label and Release: Dosado Records DR 1006

Produced by: Nate Gibson,

Recorded and Mixed by: Rob Lowe, Renaissance Studios, Boston, MA

Additional Engineering: Phil Aiken, Federico House, Stoughton, MA

Mastered by: Dana White, Specialized Mastering, Framingham, MA

Design: Nate Gibson & Abby Getman, Cover Photo: Emily Gabrian, Inside Cover Art by Bradley Smith

Liner Notes: Host of Boomtown, USA, Rex Trailer

Track Listing: 1. All I Wanted Was a Dance 2. An Immaculate Confection (The Necco Song) (with Rex Trailer) 3. Whispering Pines 4. The Snow Globe Song 5. The King of the Yodelers (with Kenny Roberts) 6. Treatin' Me Like A Ping-Pong Ball 7. She Won't Wear A Bra ('Cause She Don't Need It) 8. I Can't Sell My Broken Heart on eBay 9. The Remote to the T.V. (with Rex Trailer and Kenny Roberts) 10. Don't 'Nathan David' Me 11. I Don't Need Liquor For A Good Time (I Need Liquor To Survive)

Musicians: Nate Gibson (vocals, acoustic guitar), Dave Aaronoff (accordion and vocals), Phil Aiken (piano), Leigh Calabrese (musical saw), Liam Crill (drums), Chris DeBarge (pedal steel), Dawson Hill (piano), Rich Holbrook (upright bass), Jon Johnson (upright bass), Dan Matz (drums), Kenny Roberts (vocals), Dana Stewart (drums), Chris Toppin (vocals), Rex Trailer (vocals), Tom Umberger (electric guitar)

 

What They Are Saying About Nate Gibson

The Stars of Starday (Bear Family Records)

“Nate Gibson is a man I admire and a rare bird, indeed. Nate is a singer, picker, explorer, preservationist, musical scholar, author and all around natural born cat. His mission during this chapter of his life is mining the legacy of the eternally hip Starday Records and its stars of the 1950s-1960s, re-energizing the brand and bringing the Starday story into the presence of a newly minted twenty-first-century audience. Nate’s passion for all things Starday is evidenced in the corralling of the spirit of the company’s unapologetic sound of hillbilly twang with some of the last of the label’s living legends. The Starday story also serves as a reminder that the defiant sense of individualism and the music that springs forth from such a heart is truly noble and is to be honored and cherished. I regard Nate Gibson as a kindred spirit to Starday founders Pappy Daily and Don Pierce. All three, distinguished members of the outsiders guild, men who work best as renegades out on the edges of town, men who see magic in the shadows and hear music coming from in between the lines of polite society.” – Marty Stuart, Musician

“Starday might have been forgotten had it not been for the bright young light, part musician, part scholar, part preservationist, that is Nate Gibson... This 24-tracker sees him duetting with some of the hitmakers from the label’s heyday on some of their old favourites. The result is a total delight... Gibson deserves a medal for his painstaking efforts, and the thing is it all sounds so effortless, as if everybody is having a ball. Quite frankly, if anything else comes out this year that gives me more pleasure across repeated listenings, I will be very surprised.” – Jack Watkins, 5/5 star review, Country People Magazine [UK]

“I just got the [Stars of Starday] CD and I’ve been playin’ it. Impressive! It sounds good, boy, really good! I was kinda nervous about how it was gonna come off, but it probably sounds better than the original. Nate should have been singing harmony with me back then but he wasn’t even in diapers yet. But it really turned out good and I’m really proud of it. Thank you a lot, Nate. I think we got everything we was looking for.” – Frankie Miller, Starday recording artist

“This album provides the most fun set of 24 new recordings of classic country and rockabilly music in many years. Guitarist and vocalist Gibson, who literally wrote the book about Starday, re-records songs with the original artists using Marty Stuart, Kenny Vaughn, and Chris Scruggs as the core band. This release extends his work with the typical 56-page Bear Family booklet, providing both the CliffsNotes version of his monograph and more recent interviews with these folks... This is heaven for any lover of 1950s country.” – AM, Bluegrass Unlimited (March 2020)

“The Stars of Starday, yes! Let’s Get Wild! What a pleasure. That CD is fantastic, fantastic, fantastic! I can’t find the words to thank you for me and from country music. This CD is just unbelievable! You’re the greatest, Nate. Whop-Bop-A-Loo-Bop!” – Rudy “Tutti” Grayzell, Starday recording artist

“Such a Wonderful collection, which sees Nate team up with many original artists from the Starday record label, to cover classic country, rock’n’roll, honky tonk and more. As authentic as anything and beautifully packaged too.” – Dave Watkins, Country People Magazine [UK]

“I’m really gratified that Nate thinks my records were some of the best records ever made on Starday and it was a pleasure to sit back down and record those things again with him. I’m really impressed with this project and with Bear Family... I mean, my God, that makes it about a total success. I don’t know how you could do much better than that. I’m very impressed with the whole thing!” – Darnell Miller, Starday recording artist

“Great CD, not only because this is the soundtrack of a party in Huize Vredenburg, but also and especially because almost all 24 songs [are] uptempo country rock and bluegrass with a beat in which the fiddles and steel guitars fly around the ears, performed by a band that plays so tight that everything sounds fresh today.” – Boppin’ Around [Netherlands]

“I was just floored when Nate said, “Let’s do ‘My Special Dream.’” I thought, “Really?” He saw something in it that I didn’t see, and we brought it out that day [in the studio]. It’s a beautiful arrangement and I’m so proud of it. And we got a real good take of ‘On the Cross’ as well!” – Margie Singleton, Starday recording artist

“[It’s a] wonderfully nostalgic record where you can hear that the artists have clearly enjoyed reviving their old songs. It’s a great tribute to a great record label and who else other than Nate could have imagined and implemented this?” – Pasi Koskela, Big Beat [Finland]

“As the Manager of Betty Amos with Judy and Jean, I was very happy that Nate picked us to record on The Stars Of Starday album. We love all of the songs and have gotten great feedback from DJs on the two songs we recorded together. They turned out Great [and] Nate fit right in. We thank Bear Family Records and Nate Gibson for all the work that went into The Stars Of Starday.” – Judy Lee, Starday recording artist

“Legendary country label Starday Records lives on thanks to Nate Gibson, not only through his informative book (The Starday Story), but also by bringing together several of its artists to duet on songs from that bygone era... Everyone’s having fun and another historian, Marty Stuart, is on hand to add further credibility.” – Tony Byworth, Critic’s Choice 2019 (Top Ten Albums of 2019), Country Music People [UK]

“Bear Family is the premier company for traditional music from the United States including bluegrass, old-time, as well as country music. Nathan, thank you so much for allowing me to be a part of this project.” – Bill Clifton, Starday recording artist

“I am quite impressed with the result. The opening track ‘Rain, Rain’ with Frankie Miller starts out with a bang... Rudy Grayzell stands in his own class with the real smokers ‘Let’s Get Wild’ and ‘Ducktail’ [and] among ballads, June Stearns is absolutely superb in ‘We’ve Got Things In Common’.... Nate Gibson does a great job.” – Bo Berglind, American Music Magazine [Sweden]

“Gives a good taste of living history without distorting the compositions, with real dynamism and a flawless sound. A very beautiful booklet of 56 pages provides detailed testimony on this magnificent realization. Guaranteed emotion, with Bear Family quality.” – JB, Le Cri du Coyote [France]

“[The Stars of Starday] will delight lovers of the [country] genre... Clearly a labour of love, Nate has come up with something a bit special.” – Harry Dodds, Now Dig This [UK]

“Nate’s dedication to honoring the Starday label and the artists who recorded for it is thoroughly admirable, and I hope it also results in more people taking a second and third look at the label AND Nate’s book, which should be in your collection... So what about the music?... It’s all cool of course, and the booklet is up to Bear Family’s and Nate’s standard--thoroughly educational and entertaining!” – Marc Bristol, Blue Suede News

Got Another Baby/Duck Butt (Swelltune Records)

“Nate Gibson turns in a very Rockabilly sounding vocal complete with echo that had me convinced it was Dexter Romweber as a guest vocalist! It’s not of course, but man you could fool me! There’s some gloriously nasty, raw fuzz on the guitar on this track, and the end of the song has some particularly killer, rocking riffs that make this track rewarding. Well worth the price of admission. The B-side is a silly, goofy little Hillbilly tune about a ducks butt poking up when he’s eating with his beak in the water. Puts me in mind of a Dave and Deke sort of thing. Fun!” – Kevin Smith, Blue Suede News (Spring 2019)

The Starday Sessions (Goofin’ Records)

“Although the cover clearly states that this is a “rockin’ tribute” with guest appearances from noted neo-billies like Sean Mencher and Deke Dickerson, when heard in the background it comes off like a madman tearing it up. Gibson’s frantic energy is natural; he neither croons nor does he resort to fake Elvis muttering. It’s not hyperbole to suggest that this CD is on a par with Starday originals like Rudy “Tutti” Grayzell or Glenn Barber. Tribute? More like a party.” – James Porter, Ugly Things (Fall/Winter 2013)

“In addition to writing a meticulously researched book, Gibson gets together with friends like Jerry Miller, the Hi-Fly Rangers and The Barnshakers to cover a few of Starday’s too-good-to-forget tunes on what one hopes is a volume one collection. Timeless tunes of heartbreak (“I Don’t Want a Sweetheart”) and suspicion (“Shadow My Baby”) never sounded so fun. And speaking of fun, one of the more well known tunes, “You All Come,” has been recorded by (among others) Bill Monroe, Little Jimmy Dickens and Dolly Parton, but nobody brought out the humorous aspects of the song better than Gibson and accomplice Deke Dickerson. Even though the rockabilly roots are obvious from the first note, this album has a feel of some of the work from early punk rockers like The Ramones (minus the iffy musicianship, Gibson and his mates can play). It has a real back to basics feel, a no-frills approach (only 1 of the 15 tracks is over 3 minutes long) and a fun, labor-of-love vibe.” – Robert Loy, Country Standard Time (2013)

“Gibson is joined by some of the leading lights of the international roots music scene... Nate uses his powerful voice to good effect [and] as Rudy [“Tutti” Grayzell] rightly observes, this dynamic collection will “rattle your rockabilly heart” and “knock your socks off.” A fitting tribute and highly recommended.” – Harry Dodds, Now Dig This (May 2013)

“Part of what makes Gibson’s Starday Story so engaging is not only his love of Country Music, but also the fact that he’s a musician himself. He understands from an artist’s perspective that drive, that need, to make music and to have people hear it, and how important Starday was in providing an outlet for honky-tonkers, rockabillies and bluegrassers who might have had nowhere else to go.” – Rick Nagy, The Ryder

All the Way Home (Cow Island Music)

“Every so often, peripheral liner notes reveal the essence of an album. Take what Nate Gibson says about the song “My Big 18”: “OK, kids, this is the last song. Time to gather ‘round the campfire for this one. We’re gonna have a happy, hand-clapping hoedown jamboree old-time get-together barn dance sing-along hootenanny truck-driving jubilee-type thing. Sing along” That’s an accurate description of this entire album. Gibson and his Gashouse Boys are cheeky, fun, giddy and over the top.” – T. Atkinson, Country Standard Time (2007)

“The terms “renaissance man” and “honky-tonk singer” don’t often describe the same person, but both fit Nate Gibson. As frontman for his throwback country band, Nate Gibson and the Gashouse Gang, the Kansas-reared transplant is on of the leading lights of Boston’s emerging honky-tonk scene.” – Christopher Blagg, Boston Herald (June 15, 2007)

“Country music is dead. Nashville killed it. But wait! Here comes Boston, the country-rockabilly capital of America, to save the genre from itself, with local boy Nate Gibson (Boston by way of Kansas) leading the charge. His second album with the Gashouse Gang, All the Way Home, is an exuberant romp through country’s golden era. Gibson tears through several hits from the Starday catalog, and the label’s co-founder, Don Pierce, provides commentary on the LP’s intro, intermission and outro tracks. For authenticity’s sake, the record was even tracked in glorious mono. While Gibson’s cheeky songwriting is as entertaining as ever (he spins tales of trolley tours and dogs that suck at hunting), it’s the covers that really shine here. The record’s title track, “All the Way Home,” is a Spinal Tap anthem that Gibson and his band have managed to turn into the best song the Tennessee Three never wrote. Lynnette Lenker joins the band on Eddie Skelton's “My Heart Gets Lonely,” and she and Gibson go at each other like John and June. Arthur “Guitar Boogie” Smith’s “Who Shot Willie” is a crackling barn-burner, while Gibson’s rendition of Wayne Raney’s “We Need A Whole Lot More of Jesus (And A Lot Less Rock And Roll)” could turn most of Cambridge into Goldwater voters. Hell, there’s even a cover of “Hukilau.” How do you argue with that?” – Paul McMorrow, The Weekly Dig (May 23, 2007)

Nate Gibson & the Gashouse Gang (Dosado)

“Nate Gibson and Rex Trailer bonded over Necco Wafers. The thin little candies made by the New England Confectionery Company in Cambridge were so inspiring that the pair even wrote a song about them for Gibson’s new self-titled album... That duet, a jaunty little ditty called “An Immaculate Confection,” is but one of several gems on Gibson’s wonderfully incongruous album. The music has a hard-core, classic country feel, with upright walking bass lines, snappy acoustic guitar and pedal steel licks, and a dusty old-West feel in the steady rolling rhythms.” – Sarah Rodman, Boston Herald (August 8, 2002)

“They call it country, I say it's “country-style filtered through rockabilly.” I can definitely hear Scotty Moore and the Sun Records sound in Tom Umberger’s lead guitar. Nate Gibson is leader and singer, and really sounds like Trey (yeah, from Phish) on some of these tracks. Dana Stewart is on drums, and Jon Johnson fills out the basic quartet on bass fiddle. We have some guest stars in the country vein, including Rex Trailer and yodeler Kenny Roberts. It’s a good, tongue-in-cheek, sh#t-kickin’ (can I say that?) album, and it needs to be in everyone’s party CD collection, to liven things up. The most perverse song is “An Immaculate Confection.” It’s about Necco wafers and the factory over in Cambridge. Why perverse? These guys take an unnatural interest in the damn wafers. I’ll be the first to coin the phrase... the name of Nate and the boys’ music... NECCOBILLY. Good debut!” – Mike Loce, The Noise (December, 2002)

 

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