Ken Levitan w/Emmylou, Buddy & Patty at he Awards show
Music-wise, Thursday is all about the awards show at the Ryman, the always “star-studded” (and always over-long) event that is modeled after the way most awards shows where an act comes out and does one song and then some talking and awards and honoring and then you realize that you’ve been sitting on hallowed-yet hard pews and your butts starting to get sore.
ASLEEP AT THE WHEEL opened the show and from talking to leader RAY BENSON the day before, I knew that they showed up at 8 o’clock that morning to run through their one song. The good thing is the sound and stage management made for a cohesive and well-produced show. My only complaint about thr awards format is to hear only one song from each act, whether it’s THE FLATLANDERS, JUSTIN TOWNES EARLE or THE BELLVILLE OUTFIT, you just get a taste and then their gone. A missing dynamic that you get in a full set is the building of energy that happens. A band like THE GOURDS, whom I love, pop in for one tune, (“Country Love”, my pick for best song) and then they’re gone, not even doing a showcase gig all weekend. That being said, it was still a great show and I differ to the great local writer (sing singer-songwriter) PETER COPPER for his detailed account of the AMA Awards show. Here’s the link.
One of the award recipients was JIM ROONEY, a singer who came to Nashville at the right time in the 70’s and seemed to fall into the right circles with the right people. His stories at the show were amusing and he had a big influence on the careers of NANCI GRIFFITH and JOHN PRINE, who presented his award to him.
Jim Rooney did a set at the tiny Station Inn that same night and at the insistence of another radio friend, “Kuzin’” Kate Walker, I went to the Inn, which sold out soon after. Rooney had a whole slew of friends onstage with him, over 12, topping John Fogerty’s previous record set the night before at the Mercy. They included extraordinary fiddler STUART DUNCAN, the great unknown PAT McLAUGHLIN, PAT ALGERS, SAM BUSH, steel player DAN DUGMORE, drummer PAT McINERNEY and more than I can recall at this point.
He introduced Nanci Griffith, who came out and talked about MARY TRAVERS, the just-deceased singer with PETER, PAUL & MARY, and her influence on her career as well as so many other women at the time. Going into “Where Have All The Flowers Gone” was a powerful and emotional experience. After doing a few more, John Prine came out with a big grin on his face and launched into MERLE HAGGARD’S ”Ramblin’ Fever”. It was an inspired choice and everybody got a chance to solo. Following with “Paradise” and “No Expectations” with everybody sharing vocals, it was an amazing set and although after 1AM, they couldn’t get the crowd to leave because they were buzzing so much.
It seemed like that couldn’t be topped so I went home although I heard that RAUL MALO was setting 3rd & Lindsley on fire till 2. At the AMA’s with 5 stages and other outside events, you just have to accept that you can’t seen everything… Hearing about a non-AMA show at Douglas Corner with Memphis greats like DONNIE FRITTS, DAN PENN, SPOONER OLDHAM with guests like CHIP TAYLOR made me cringe but it’s just in the past and a missed opportunity.
The conference offically opened this afternoon at the Nashville Convention Center, although no panels were scheduled, there was a whole night of music scheduled at the 5 AMA clubs, including a strong rumor of JOHN FOGERTY planning a surprise set at The Mercy Lounge, the smaller of the two clubs that share the same building. The other, larger room is the Cannery Ballroom, which was doing a whole night of Austin artists including SETH WALKER, who was quite good in a soulful bluesy sort of way, and ASLEEP AT THE WHEEL, who are just always great, in a boogie woogie western swing way.
It is customary for AMA Showcase evening shows to limit each artist to a 45 minute set, no matter what, encore or not. Well, either Mr. Fogerty didn’t get the memo or the AMA let him slide, nevertheless he did an almost and hour and a half set. I thought the new songs were great and would’ve liked a few more of those and a few less CCR classics. But I can’t say I wasn’t singing along like everyone else to “Down On The Corner” and “Born On The Bayou.” I especially loved a few surprise selections like “Night Time Is the Right Time” and ”Big Train From Memphis” which particularly cooked. Nashville’s PETER COOPER has a nice 
It was off in another drenching downpour to The Basement, the smallest AMA club but the room that usually has some of the best music. In this case, it was THE TEJAS BROTHERS, a fine quartet let by accordian player DAVID PEREZ, their Tex-Mex with a dash of Bakersfield was nothing less than excellent. A great band and a perfect way to end the first night at the AMA’s. Much more to come including the big awards show tomorrow night at the Ryman.
