Nashville - it wasn't God made honky tonk angels

The drive to Nashville took about four hours – with a stop at the Loretta Lynn café for lunch! With the GPS all is plain sailing so straight to the motel near Opryland. Then down into town and a Club recommended by all – the Tootsie Lounge! Pink and noisy – but two great bands – a hard rockin’ country bunch and…another hard rockin’ country bunch. Both great! No cover charge – just whatever you want to tip..and they were really professional. Off to a Mexican for dinner then passed a gospel band at full pelt (after all it was Sunday) in another club – music is everywhere. In fact Nashville seems to be a city of churches – great big imposing ones are everywhere… But it is also the city of friendly people, beautiful houses and lush verdant countryside – absolutely beautiful in palces – and the music scene is awesome. Everything from yee-ha classic hillbilly to hared rock, blues – you name it, it seems to be available every night of the week. Big names (Elvis Costello, BB King here this week) and a host of lesser lights. The next day was the Frist Art Gallery – an amazing art deco building – then a trip into the country to a couple of pre-civil war mansions and the Loveless café – just great! I spent the afternoon at Vanderbilt University and their TV news archive…(in my report!). In evening off to the Bluebird Café (http://www.bluebirdcafe.com/ ) for two more acts, the Mike Henderson band (a brilliant blues band) and Dennis Lambert, songwriter (http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=155217020 ) – no, I didn’t know him either but when he started – wow, we were all spell bound. What a city….
On the last day in this jewel of the south, to the Country Music Hall of Fame – an exceptional museum/archive – could have spent all day there – tells the story really well..and what’s more – the first place I’ve ever got into at a reduced rate – cheaper for the over 55s!! Then to the Parthenon (“ours ain’t broke” to quote a local) – it’s great – really! http://www.nashville.gov/parthenon/