On Practicing Guitar

July 30 – With so many live performance options in Nashville, it can be hard to decide who to see. We only had two nights, and the first one had to be decided quickly. My cousin Rae Ellen had driven in all the way from the Smoky Mountains, and we didn’t have a lot of time to spare. The Station Inn was mentioned in a Gram Parsons biography I had just read, so the venue was on my mind. We popped in to see what was up, and then headed down the street for a tasty Mexican dinner. An hour or so later, we took our seats as the club was filling up and the Cumberland Collective was about to go on.

The Station Inn is famous for bluegrass but a friend of the band described them as ‘swampy, Louisiana, Americana style more than bluegrass.’ As the name implies, the Cumberland Collective is a core group that includes singer/guitarists Conner Rand and Clay Evans and Ted Pennington on fiddle/mandolin/guitar/vocals plus a talented cast of support players and singers. Their style is characterized by soulful, multi-part harmonies, with a swinging yet full and detailed instrumental texture.

The outside of the Station Inn. You can be sure that your spouse, lover or significant other won’t be able to see through the windows if you are inside cheatin’ and they happen to pass by.

The band fielded ten players and singers on stage just to start with, including a trombonist, saxophonist, drummer, electric bass, keyboards, several singers and the core band. The rhythm section in particular was killer, with bassist Ryan Madora providing the rock solid foundation. From the look on her face, you knew she was thoroughly enjoying herself. More guests dropped in as the evening progressed, including an appearance by Brooklyn hit makers American Authors towards the end of the second set.

A striking aspect of the CC is the top notch musicianship, which is in the ensemble, getting the song across variety rather than the flashy, soloing style. Even though there were numerous guests on stage and the overall lineup varies somewhat from gig to gig, the cohesion and spark of the music never faltered for a moment. Before we went down to Tennessee, my friend Ron Raymond had told me, “you’re going to be blown away by how good the musicians are in Nashville.” He wasn’t kidding.

One of the most exciting performers that night was Nicole Boggs. She has a smoky alto voice with a ton of soul, and she got one of the biggest hands of the night for one of her songs. Her back-up vocals were also an integral part of the rich sound that defined the CC that night.

All this great musicianship still wouldn’t have satisfied me if the songs weren’t appealing, as well. A sly sense of humor is at play in many of the lyrics, and two songs which stood out in particular were “The Rabbit Got Away,” and “Yard Man.” We stayed from beginning to end, almost three hours of spirited, joyful and skilled music making. The Cumberland Collective is a group to keep your eye on and a good time to be had in the here and now.