Kirk

Nashville is a great city for music. And this visit, I found the right spot on the right night. I was in town for a conference sponsored by the Gates Foundation and they treated us to dinner at the Country Music Hall of Fame. Afterwards a group of colleagues sought out some live music. We discovered The Listening Room Cafe and were in luck because it was singer-songwriter night. Four writers who create music for country stars took the stage together: The Warren Brother, JT Harding, and Marv Green. They each sat on stage on a stool with a guitar. In sequence, they shared stories and songs. In one story, the Warren Brothers wrote a song with 14-year-old Taylor Swift in their office. Then nothing happened. Twenty years later, Taylor’s agent told them to be “waiting at your phone at 9:37 am tomorrow.” When she called, they learned she was finally recording their song. Dryly, one of the said, “so I told my daughter, we can pay for you to go to college after all.” ...

Without question, Bob James stole the show at the 2025 Capital Jazz Festival. He took the stage with his own quartet and at 85 years old, he probably had more years than the drummer, bass, and sax player combined. But his sound was still spritely and he didn’t miss a note. Bob is a composer often featured at your favorite “smooth jazz” setting of the radio dial, with a nack for writing tunes with memorable hooks. He played many of his classic compositions and a few covers. His band featured a talented young drummer and energetic bass player. And the Ukrainian sax player Andrey Chmut played several powerful solos, too. ...