The Western Jubilee Recording Company was founded in Colorado Springs in 1996 by Scott O’Malley, an avid collector and connoisseur of Western and cowboy music. After his own time performing as a musician, O’Malley moved to Colorado Springs in 1985, bought an empty warehouse, and started a management agency. He represented acclaimed Western artists Don Edwards, Waddie Mitchell, and the Sons of the San Joaquin, eventually creating the record label the Western Jubilee Recording Company as his roster grew. The artists O’Malley worked with are from families of farmers and ranchers and write songs about authentic experiences on the range. Other artists on Western Jubilee Recording Company include Montana balladeer Wylie Gustafson, "Cowboy Girl" Katy Moffatt, and singer-songwriter Michael Martin Murphey, as well as renowned guitar player Norman Blake and his wife, folk musician Nancy Blake.

Western Jubilee Recording Company founder Scott O'Malley

Many of the albums were recorded live at Western Jubilee’s historic Warehouse Theater in Colorado Springs. Draped in colorful quilts with guitars and memorabilia lining the tin walls, the Western Jubilee stage is a space dedicated to storytelling and the artists who have passed through it. Their commitment to the preservation of old-time music has earned the label a collection of well-loved releases and multiple Grammy nominations. Soft-spoken storytelling, a deep love of the land, and an appreciation for companionship provide tender insight into life on the range, showing there’s more to cowboys than machismo.

Smithsonian Folkways acquired Western Jubilee Recording Company in April 2020, keeping the spirit of the label alive for all who want it for years to come.

A few recordings from Western Jubilee. Click here for more.

Take Me Back to the Range: Selections from Western Jubilee Recording Company

WJRC019876 (2020)

The Western Jubilee Recording Company is a small label with an exceptional catalog of authentic cowboy music and poetry.

Warehouse Tracks

Various Artists

WJRC127623 (2007)

Representing ten years of live performances, Warehouse Tracks presents fifteen selections from the Western Jubilee Warehouse Theater in Colorado Springs.

Back Home In Sulphur Springs

Norman & Nancy Blake

PLECT012112 (2006)

Norman and Nancy Blake’s Back Home in Sulphur Springs was named in reference to Norman’s classic 1972 debut...

High Lonesome Cowboy

Peter Rowan & Don Edwards with Tony Rice and Norman Blake

WJRC117520 (2002)

High Lonesome Cowboy is a collaboration between legends of the acoustic music scene - cowboy singer Don Edwards, bluegrass pioneer Peter Rowan, roots icons Norman and Nancy Blake, and bluegrass guitar favorite Tony Rice.

Sing One for the Cowboy

Sons of the San Joaquin

WJRC117025 (2000)

Sing One for the Cowboy is another collection full of the Sons of the San Joaquin's rich three-part harmonies and inspired Western songwriting...

Cowboy Girl

Katy Moffatt

WJRC118022 (2001)

Drawing stylistic influence from the likes of Phil Ochs, Judy Collins, and Dave Van Ronk, Katy Moffatt began her career situated in the folk-pop boom of the 1970s.

That No Quit Attitude

Waddie Mitchell

WJRC116820 (2002)

That No Quit Attitude is the second release from the Western Jubilee Recording Company to feature cowboy poet and National Cowboy Poetry Gathering co-founder Waddie Mitchell.