Wednesday, August 3, 2011

Sweet Saturday in Music City

On my way to another 12-hour work shift at the Tennessee State Library and Archives in Nashville I ran into heavy downpours. Not one, but three! I'd be driving along Interstate Hiway 24 and hit a curtain of rain; it lasted for a mile or two and suddenly no rain. Odd. . . .

The work shift went fine. I love my new work!

Still, I was happy when the security relief arrived at seven in the evening. And not because I was tired from twelve straight hours, either.

It was because I'd gotten an e-invitation to a CD release party at 3rd and Lindsley. And not just for any old musician; she was Jonell Mosser, who attends my church, Eastwood Christian. and occasionally sings with the choir or sings a solo special.

It was my first experience of 3rd and Lindsley. Jonell had already her performance when I entered, and quickly I ascertained that the house was full. SRO, it appeared! But I was hungry, so I went ahead and approached an order station (computer terminal) at the end of the bar and made a request for nachos supreme. Within a couple minutes I lucked out and found a vacant seat at a table next to the dance floor and near the corner of the stage. When the nachos arrived, they were worth the wait and the challenge of finding a seat. De-e-e-licious!

And let my add, that my vexation at the scarcity of available seats was more than compensated by my delight to see that Jonell draws such a good crowd at one of Nashville's famous live music venues! (Jonell performs at 3rd and Lindsley several times annually.)

And it was Jonell Mosser I'd come for, not nachos or easy seating! She had a band with her, two guitarists (one prossibly a bassist) and drummer. They had been with her (or at least the drummer) when she'd performed at the public library and I'd gone.

Jonell was vintage Jonell, if I may say so. She has a great singing voice, really gets into her music with gesture and even outright dancing, and sings from her heart an eclectic repertoire. The Nashville Public Library labels her albums in their catalog as "CD Country", but Jonell is like Mary Chapin Carpenter in being "Country".

Jonell is a songwriter, and often writes songs with Tom, one of the guitarists. One of these, which I think she said is on the new CD, is about Chinatown. She sang it at a reflective pace and the song wrapped itself around me as listener. It was beautiful and so perfect for Jonell to sing! Later, her "other band", the three women singers of "Kentucky Thunder" joined her on the 3rd & Lindsley stage (they are not Ricky skaggs band).

After such wonderful live singing, how could a radio show compete? And yet the Grand Ole Opry gave me additional listening pleasure on WSM-AM 650 while driving to Clarksville. But since this involves another location, it's another story for another time.