Travel interstate 65 south out of Nashville, Tennessee and you will pass by the home of one of America’s most unusual music labels.

In late October, 2001, a small record company located in Brentwood, Tennessee, made music history. Altissimo Recordings saw one of their compilations of patriotic and inspirational music named one of the best selling new albums in America.

Altissimo’s rise to the top of the music charts was born out of a singular tragedy. The day following the terrorist attacks on New York and Washington, congressional leaders gathered on the steps of the United States Capital building to address the American people. At the close of their nationally televised appearance, the entire delegation broke into a spontaneous rendition of God Bless America.

In the weeks that followed, patriotic tunes and hymns were heard everywhere around the country: radio shows, television dramas, shopping centers, even in telephone on-hold messages. Music stores around the nation have seen interest in patriotic music skyrocket. Mike Lee is a music buyer for the Borders 350 store national chain.

"I mean its been unbelievable in a way how much people are turning to this music. Recordings featuring the classic patriotic tracks such as Stars and Stripes Forever, and any Souza is doing very well, The Battle Hymn of the Republic, God Bless America, God Bless the USA, and so on."

During the last week of October, Billboard Magazine, listed a CD from Altissimo Recordings at the number eight position on their Classical music chart.

"That is the Patriotic Salute To The Military Family, which features recordings by the U.S. Marine Band, the U.S. Navy Band, the United States Air Force Band. So it’s all the military bands performing the patriotic music of…there’s several tracks by Souza, there’s again the Battle Hymn of the Republic, the National Anthem, and so on. It’s got over thirty tracks on it."

Altisimo Recordings is dedicated exclusively to the military music recorded by dozens of United States Armed Forces bands, orchestras and ensembles. Veteran Air Force Pilot Al McRee founded the company in 1991.

"I’m amazed. I’m shocked. I never expected to have one of our albums chart, and low and behold, there it is. We’re ahead of Yo-Yo Ma. About a week after the attack, we just started getting orders like, like out of sight. It just went crazy. We’ve done more business in the last month than we did in the entire first half of the year."

That’s music to the ears of Navy Band Director Commander Ralph Gambone. He’s always been frustrated by regulations that kept military recordings from being more widely distributed.

"When you record something like this and then make it available to a large amount of people it just feels like we’re doing so much more to contribute, especially with the recent events that we’ve had. I think it can be very helpful and comforting to our fellow citizens. So, yes we feel really good about that, but we’re of course not pleased about the circumstances that brought that about."

One of those deriving some comfort from the Altissimo CD is Janet Harmon of Norcross, Georgia. Her father, a veteran Air Force Commander, passed away just days after the terrorist attacks.

"One of the last conversations I had with my dad was about the tragedy at the World Trade Center. So, I had a flavor of how he was feeling and I think there was some frustration on his part, because physically he wasn’t in a position to be able to do anything. In World War II he’d been a pilot. A reconnaissance pilot and I was looking for the song, Off Into The Wild Blue Yonder. We wanted to use that at the service."

Altissimo President Al McCree can understand how Janet’s father felt. He too feels the pull to defend the nation.

"There’s a piece of me that wants to be in Afghanistan right now dropping bombs. You never know exactly why you’re on the earth, what your destiny is, but clearly this is part of it. With my unique background in the military, with my unique background in music it’s sort of as if I was destined to be at this spot to create this label for this event. Clearly this is something that people want to listen to and wrap themselves around the American spirit. They want this music, it comforts them in this really tough time we’re going through right now, and so, yes, this is my mission right now."

For more information about Altissimo Recordings, visit their website militarymusic.com.