Evan Cobb, me, Jeff Coffin after the Doyle & Debbie Show at The Station Inn in Nashvile
(June 19, 2012) NASHVILLE, TN — Let’s just get this stuff out the way: Today I ate lunch with Victor Wooten, Roy Wooten, Jeff Coffin, Chris Walters and Evan Cobb. Then I had dinner with Jeff and Evan with Ben Folds one table away to my left and a Japanese documentary crew one table away to my right. This is a weird town.
(Side note: As I’m typing this, at 1 a.m. CT, something serious and loud and metallic is happening outside this house. I’m fine right here on the couch, thanks.)
On my first full day in town, I did a poetry reading at the Nashville Jazz Workshop. I was so impressed with the place that I went back today to interview co-founder Roger Spencer. That’s him in the photo to the left. The Wokshop is a school that teaches jazz through performance. Students of all ages and levels sign up for six-week classes with local pros. The Workshop is also home to the Jazz Cave, a gorgeous performance space that rivals most clubs I’ve been in and plays host to touring acts and local pros. Roger talked to me about the founding of the Workshop and the role it plays in the jazz life of Nashville. It’s an incredible place and deserves your support.
The other day, Jeff Coffin told me about another inspiring school in Nashville — the W.O. Smith Music School, a community music school serving low-income kids with an all-volunteer teaching staff. Evan was kind enough to take me there to interview the school’s executive director, Jonah Rabinowitz.
The first thing I noticed about the school? It’s gorgeous. I mean really beautiful and impressive as soon as you walk in. My phone pictures won’t do it justice. Jonah showed us around the facilities, including a recital hall, well-equipped and lovely practice rooms, a library and more. The school started in the 80s in a small house, then two houses, then ($6 million dollars of fundraising and 10 years of planning later) in its current facility. I’ll post that interview soon so you can hear all about this place. In the meantime, I encourage you to visit their site and kick in a few bucks.
Next, Evan and I went to the House of David recording studio to listen in on a session featuring Jeff Coffin, Roy and Victor Wooten and Chris Walters.
They were recording an instructional CD that Jeff is working on with another musician. I was struck by the consummate musicianship displayed by all four players. They were completely focused on the music and intensely aware of every aspect of the performance. They’d play through a piece and one of them would say, “I think I rushed a bit on beat 3 and 4 of measure 28.” And that was in reference to something they’d just finished playing seconds before. It was impressive.
Afterward we all went to lunch at an Indian place called Sitar, which had a fantastic buffet. The sign pictured at left was inside the front door. Here’s the reference, in case that joke doesn’t mean anything to you.
I have to say, it’s at moments when I’m having lunch with the Wootens and the sax player from the Dave Matthews Band and the Flecktones that I think going out on the road was a good idea. I was most struck by two things: (1) how humble and nice everyone was and (2) Victor’s hands. Particularly his fingertips. I’ve seen his hands playing the bass so many times and I’ve always been captivated by something about his fingertips and the way they move on the frets. It was funny to see those same hands being used for something as mundane as eating. Although eating is no more or less mundane than anything else if you give it your full attention. One of my big regrets of my time in Nashville is not getting a chance to interview Victor and Roy. I guess I’ll have to come back.
Evan and I went home after lunch for a few hours. I intended to work. Then this happened:
…and I decided instead to take a nap with Evan’s dog, Iggy.
Post-nap we picked up Jeff and went to The Station Inn, a famous bluegrass and country joint, to see Doyle and Debbie, a musical comedy duo who parody the great country couples of the past. They were hilarious. Fast-paced, acerbic songwriting and spot-on acting. Their comedy was working on so many levels that I was never sure which part the audience was laughing at. It didn’t matter, though. I laughed a lot and had a great time. Catch them if you’re in town. (The photo at the top of this post was taken outside the show.)
Next it was off to The Smiling Elephant for some of the best Thai food I’ve ever had. We got there just before it closed and there was a line and the place was packed. A table opened that we thought was ours, but it turned out there was one party ahead of us in line — Ben Folds and two friends.
I loved the food and the environment and the owner’s obvious attention to detail. We chatted with him for several minutes and he told us how involved he and his wife are in every step of the preparation and presentation process. You can really tell. The whole place is like an oasis of good vibes.
There was also a Japanese documentary crew there making a music documentary. They were heading to Montana the next day. One of the guys had a very hip Ahmet Ertegun t-shirt. I chatted with them in Japanese for a while, which was fun even though I’m rusty.
Then it was back to Evan’s, where the day ended in the best possible fashion:
Tomorrow I’m interviewing Evan and saxophonist Rahsaan Barber. Then I leave in the afternoon for Knoxville, where I’ll interview Donald Brown (among others) and read poetry.
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