NASHVILLE, TN — There’s plenty of anticipation and national discussion ongoing about the release of the late William Greaves’ exceptional documentary film from the early ‘70s. Now Nashville audiences will get the opportunity to see the celebrated Greaves production “Once Upon a Time in Harlem.” Though he’s been dead for over a decade, his son David spearheaded the campaign that finally saw the original film, which was shot on 16mm, restored and released. “Once Upon a Time in Harlem” features a 1972 party with then-living luminaries of the Harlem Renaissance. For four hours, they reminisced, critiqued, argued, laughed and drank…
Author: Ron Wynn
NASHVILLE, TN — Lorenzo Washington spent a lifetime celebrating and paying tribute to Nashville’s long and distinguished Black music history. Washington, who died last week at 83, was steeped in the culture growing up in East Nashville. He would subsequently do everything humanly possible both to make certain that it was recognized and to inform others of its importance. His early entry into the music world came in the early ‘70s, when he founded Soul Shack Records and Boutique. This would lead to a mutually rewarding collaboration with Moses Dillard and Jesse Boyce of Dillard & Boyce Productions. They would…
NASHVILLE, TN — Vocalist Connye Florance is among the most popular and beloved artists in either the local or regional jazz community. The longtime favorite is returning to the Nashville Jazz Workshop this weekend, this time doing a special program. It’s the “Modern Standards Project” on October 2. The evening will be built around a classic collection of songs since the ‘60s — reimagined with addition to the Great American Songbook in mind and delivered with the “velvet & wine” jazz flavors that have become her signature. Though a native of Greensboro, North Carolina, Florance has performed around the city…
NASHVILLE, TN — Stanley Jordan ranks among the nation’s premier guitar soloists, a true virtuoso. Jordan, who’ll be appearing at City Winery September 16, is famous for his amazing approach, which he calls the “touch technique.” He can turn the fretboard into a dual-voice instrument, playing melody and harmony simultaneously with fluid, piano-inspired precision. He creates a fantastic, highly personal sound that moves effortlessly between jazz, classical reinventions, pop interpretations, and improvisational exploration. Jordan was born in Chicago, but grew up in San Francisco. His first instrument was the piano, which he began studying as a six-year-old. He shifted to…
NASHVILLE, TN — When one of the nation’s most prolific conductors offers their praises of a city’s orchestra, it speaks volumes for their quality. Anthony Parnther has led many of the world’s foremost symphony orchestras. The list includes the New York Philharmonic, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Philadelphia Orchestra, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Cleveland Orchestra, Boston Symphony Orchestra, National Symphony Orchestra, San Francisco Symphony, Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, Houston Symphony Orchestra, Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, Sydney Symphony Orchestra, and Royal Scottish National Orchestra. In the 2026–27 season, he makes his London Symphony Orchestra debut with the world premiere of David Önaç’s…
NASHVILLE, TN — The Nashville duo Concurrence featuring bassist/radio host Greg Bryant and keyboardist Paul Horton recently made jazz history. They were selected by new Newport Jazz Festival artistic director Nate Smith to be the opening act for the legendary event. Bryant, Horton and special guest Aaron Smith opened the 2026 Newport Festival last month, the identical event where such names as Duke Ellington, John Coltrane, Miles Davis, Muddy Waters and Mahalia Jackson have performed and recorded. “Playing Newport Jazz Festival felt truly wonderful,” Bryant told the Tribune last week. “We opened the entire festival, and to be charged with…
NASHVILLE, TN — The great author Colson Whitehead is coming to Nashville in a joint presentation of Parnassus Books and Fisk University. Whitehead will be celebrating his new novel “Cool Machine.” This event will be held in the Appleton Room at Fisk’s Jubilee Hall July 28 at 6:30 p.m. and is a ticketed event. “Cool Machine” is the highly anticipated conclusion to Whitehead’s acclaimed Harlem Trilogy. The series began with “Harlem Shuffle” in the ‘60s and continued with “Crook Manifesto” in the ‘70s. “Cool Machine” takes the story into the ‘80s and examines a robust but troubled New York City…
Vocalist Glenn Jones has enjoyed success in three different idioms. Jones, who’ll be appearing at City Winery July 6, got his start in the gospel world and many still remember him from those years. He was part of the Florida-based group the Modulations in the ‘70s, then shifted to R&B in 1980 when he was the featured vocalist on Norman Connors’ Top 20 hit “Melancholy Fire.” He toured with Connors, then signed a solo deal with RCA in 1983. During the ‘80s and ‘90s he had several hits, the biggest being the single “Show Me” in 1984 (number three R&B),…
When it was initially released, there was some speculation that the musical biopic “Michael” wouldn’t be available for streaming any time soon. Those fears proved wrong. “Michael,” which made its theatrical debut April 24, is now available on premium video on demand. It hit the streaming market June 9. The film is directed by Antoine Fuqua and stars Jaafar Jackson — who is the son of Jermaine Jackson and nephew of the late pop icon — as Michael Jackson in his teen and adult years. The film chronicles the life of the singer as a 10-year-old (Juliano Valde) with his…
NASHVILLE, TN — A conversation with her husband that initially began as a joke ultimately evolved for Nashville singer/songwriter Tucker Nichol into a song that addresses serious and meaningful issues. Nichol’s newest single, “Expensive,” which is being released May 29, offers listeners in general—and young women in particular—an inspirational message about overcoming doubts about self-esteem and personal worth and succeeding in a challenging world. It is also, in many ways, a journey down memory lane for Nichol. “I’ve had battles with self-esteem,” she told The Tennessee Tribune during a recent interview. “It’s very important for young women that they don’t…