Nashville, TN — August 14, 2026
History matters, and it is told in evolving stories. These narratives hold connection, inspiration and foundational values. The Bluebird Cafe in Nashville, TN, is a mecca for the living history of beloved songs that have made trips around the world, only to be revisited in their original place, where the music was born. This is because artists who play at the Bluebird Cafe are strictly songwriters themselves. The venue is small, intimate and intentionally quiet with respect for the honour of the work. So quiet that 'Ssshhhh' ing or a "Pardon" is common practice if someone - anyone, is talking over a musical performance.
In the Green Hills neighbourhood of Nashville, the Bluebird Cafe is five miles from the main honky tonk strip of Broadway. It is nestled in a small suburban strip mall between a dry cleaners, a barber shop, a liquor store and a hair salon. Established in 1982 by Amy Kurland as a small restaurant with a sound stage for patrons, it remains humble to its roots. The sanctity of the genuine pursuit of quality music that is original and home grown, gave rise to the Bluebird Cafe as the organic inception of musical legends.
Since the seminal Mercury record deal landed by Kathy Mattea in 1983, artists have made legendary connections among now music powerhouses in songwriter, singer and production. In 1984, vocalist Roguie Ray (together with his bandmates Eddie Blakely, Jimmy Greasy, Billy Earle McClelland, Johnny Neel, and Dave Pomeroy), started the tradition called Blue Monday, a weekly gathering of Blues bands. This gave rise to artists that went on to become well known talents, including Greg Allman, Vince Gill, Wynonna, Jimmy Hall, Dave Mason, Dicky Betts, Lenny Breau, Steve Cropper, Dee Murray and Dave Olna.
Writer's Night started shortly afterwards, with 8-10 songwriters playing after auditions and it still continues today. In The Round, a showcase that has caught on to international acclaim, is where four or more musicians play at the same level as the audience, sitting in a circle, taking turns performing their original works, and joining each others' harmonies and accompaniments. In The Round, events are a big part of signature Bluebird Cafe culture, elevating the history of the venue and the artists who played and still play there. The tiny club has hosted and celebrated singer-songwriters and supported the careers of artists from Garth Brooks and Taylor Swift to Keith Urban and Faith Hill, among others. True to its mission, in 2008 Amy Kurland transferred ownership of the Bluebird Cafe to the Nashville Writers Association International.
We made the music pilgrimage to Nashville to experience In The Round with artists Tony Arata, Monty Holmes, Don Sampson and Kirk "Jelly Roll" Johnson. We also got to talk with them after the show and it was a night that will never be forgotten. Traveling with my Godson, it was a milestone experience that was life changing for both of us and very meaningful on many levels.
Without fanfare, and right on time, the group settled into playing an evening of legendary original songs. With limited photo and video allowed, the audience was present every moment, with only one incident of 'sssshhhhing' needed. Tony seemed to be the natural MC, but the entire ensemble made announcements, played off of each other and shared intimate stories of friendship, life's wisdom and most importantly - humour.
Organic chemistry was a mastered science here, on this hallowed ground. The experience of it was like being out on a warm summer evening and with the music in the round as the anchor, around this fire, where the stories of the friendships, music connections and funny quips were like seeing fireflies in the midst. If you think of the magic and surprise of seeing fireflies on a summer night, you are in sheer delight, wanting to chase and catch them, but as you are following one, another introduces itself. Best to watch and admire the playfulness, free spirit and wonder of all, than to try and catch just one in a mason jar.
In the warm, cozy atmosphere, surrounded by photos of music legends and melody makers, this was a very special opportunity for fans to sit among song-writing masters to experience their music, their life stories - and be inspired by their collective wisdom. The smell of home cooking, clinking glasses, chatter among patrons and friendly swift moving staff, created a relaxed atmosphere that I haven’t experienced in any other venue in the world. (And I’ve been to a lot of shows). There is a reason the Bluebird Cafe' has kept its traditions strong for decades.
He expressed his profound honour to “share the night with some of his heroes.” Revelling in their presence at the Bluebird, Tony expressed that it is the ultimate culmination of any songwriter’s dream “To pull over to the side of the road and hear the song that you wrote playing on the radio.”
With only one instance of the Bluebird ‘Shhhhh,’ Tony brought us into the fold with "Night by Night," accompanied by Jellyroll on the harmonica. The up-tempo, steady-paced ditty lifted and reminded us of resilience in rising above life's fluctuating adversity, something I’d definitely recommend it on frequent rotation for anyone needing a well-timed boost.
These men showed endless appreciation for each other. Sitting In The Round, when Tony hailed Monty as a hero, Monty humbly deflected the praise right back, by saying “You’re everybody’s hero.” Monty shared his pride about the first female artist to record one of his songs, Lee Ann Womack. "Never Again, Again," is a stunning, deeply relatable, relationship ballad.
What joy it was to hear the stories of how these masters arrived in Nashville. Monty Holmes came from deep roots in Texas and brought home an Album Of The Year credit for co-writing George Strait’s iconic "Troubadour." It was difficult to process how these songwriters who have accomplished seemingly unreachable goals were elbow to elbow with us, in such an intimate space.
Don Sampson, born in Washington, D.C., and raised in Falls Church, Virginia, shared that he started playing guitar in gritty Texas honky-tonks, before migrating to Music City. Over a decades-long career, he has earned seven Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI) Awards and multiple ASCAP honours for hits like Gary Allan's "Tough Little Boys" and Alan Jackson's "Midnight in Montgomery." Don had us smiling and chuckling with his performance of Brad Paisley’s, "Waitin' on a Woman" (co-written with Wynn Varble), leaving us nodding our heads so intensely our necks ached.
Kirk "Jellyroll" Johnson moved to Nashville in 1984 and started playing the stage at the legendary, now-closed Douglas Corner Cafe'. He was offered his first major label studio session playing harmonica on Randy Travis’s iconic debut album, “Storms of Life” (Warner Bros,1986). This milestone offered him opportunities to be one of the most in-demand session players in Nashville. He has performed on 60 gold and platinum records, throughout his career.
Don Sampson, who arrived in Music City in 1986, recalled being inspired by Kenny Rogers' classic "The Gambler," as most people were in Nashville and around the country. As the banter went back and forth among these men, Don mumbled "you can’t make old friends."
At the Bluebird Cafe, the audience doesn’t watch the show; they are part of it, brought into it, especially with this wonderful collective. It takes a bit of faith and patience to get a ticket to a Bluebird Cafe performance, and this is because the venue does its best to keep scalpers at bay. This is a place of respect and reverence for the highest quality of music you may hear in your lifetime. When you walk in the door, you are greeted by name. The atmosphere is light and engaging. The wisdom, warmth and wit are something that no money, no pre-sale and no re-sale gimmick can buy.
These artist friends finished each other’s sentences, shared and updated each other’s memories and were creating new ones as the night rolled on.
“Which came first? The writing or the drinking?”
The spontaneous, light-hearted ruckus among the musicians brought a continuous wave of genuine warmth and surprise to the crowd. At one point, Monty was gearing up to talk about his experiences writing with his legendary co-conspirator, Aaron Barker, when Don suddenly hollered “It’s Tony’s turn, dumbass!”
The room erupted in a roar of laughter, prompting a debate over who was drinking whiskey versus who was sipping wine spritzers. (Meanwhile, a well-deserved shout-out went to the fabulous Bluebird bartenders and waitstaff, who navigated the packed room to keep the crowd buzzing along). The moment also served up a life lesson in taking criticism in stride. Monty: “I’ve been in the music business for so long… I don’t have any feelings left.”
Don offered his share of stories. “I’m six foot three and my cowboy boots make me 6’4” and a half.” He recalled a night, decades ago, when an RCA record executive—who was significantly drunker than him—dared him to climb onto the Bluebird's bar. Don took the dare and did a full “Chuck Berry” right on top of the counter. Bluebird Cafe founder, Amy Kurland, asked Don to leave and not come back. Don laughed, it was ten long years before he managed to sneak in again— and Amy welcomed him back.
The humour and genuineness also give way to vulnerability and wisdom, in this revered space that is the Bluebird Cafe. Don captivated us with "Was It 26," a slow, simmering ballad about accepting your life’s journey. First recorded in 1989 by the Charlie Daniels Band and then given a modern revival in 2015 by Chris Stapleton, hearing Sampson sing it live, tied us to weathered grit that we all need to celebrate at any age.
Tony reflected on Country Music Hall of Fame inductee Patty Loveless, sharing the historic lore of how she became so deeply captivated by his original acoustic demo of “Here I Am.” Before ever stepping into the studio, she famously rode up and down Music Row, listening to Arata's private demo tape roughly 300 times. In respect to Patty, Tony asked the hushed audience to completely block him out and imagine her singing the song rather than him. It was a stunning display of humility for the integrity of their collaboration, deferring his own understated brilliance to the spirit of the music itself. But when Tony sang it, his ability to bring deep emotional texture to the work elevated it above any radio production and extra instrumentation could provide. Backed by the angelic light of Jellyroll's harmonica, the performance was pure magic.
Monty performed “I Know She Still Loves Me,” his beloved ballad was co-written by Aaron Barker and recorded by George Strait.
When the guitar rotation returned to Don, he introduced a song that illustrated how a great piece of music travels. He explained that the track had been cut several times—“even by José Feliciano”—and served as the title track to Mo Pitney's 2016 debut album. In a testament to the song's multi-generational life, Don revealed that American Idol winner Hannah Harper had performed it on her journey to winning Season 24, earlier this year, entirely unbeknownst to him at the time.
Leaning into the microphone to sing “Behind This Guitar” (co-written with Phil O'Donnell and Casey Beathard), Don took a moment to shout out his wife in the audience as his ultimate supporter. In this listening space, it became clear that real family values were being communicated with every single note of every single song.
Tony shared a story about his early days on the Georgia coast, recalling the moment his then-fiancée invited her parents to a gig, just so they could see what he actually did for a living. Tony joked that her parents must have been incredibly proud to find him playing at Chuckles Comedy House in Thunderbolt, Georgia. “If a dad can't get behind that boy...” He finished the story with the endearing, romantic, “She’s The Difference.”
Monty and Don continually marvelled at each other’s hits, by saying things like “Why didn’t I think of that?” and “You couldn’t ruin this song if you tried.”
Tony then passed the spotlight directly to Kirk "Jellyroll" Johnson, warmly calling him “the true star of the show” and adding, “He’s the hero, even though he hasn’t said anything all night.” Indeed, we realized that Jellyroll’s harmonica was his first language, and his performance was indeed heroic.
Tony shared about growing up on Tybee Island, Georgia (colloquially pronounced "Tabby" by the locals). He told us that his early band was “struggling and completely falling apart.” To make matters worse, strict Georgia blue laws meant you couldn't buy a beer on Sundays. However, there was a local sanctuary called Shorty’s Turntable. If you lived on "Tabby" and knew the secret knock, the folks inside would sneak you whatever you wanted. Tony managed to secure a case of beer, showed up to the band meeting. Jellyroll’s response? “And I don’t drink beer,” Tony, “I know…” “It’s harder to figure out whose record Jellyroll has played on, vs. whose record he hasn’t.”
Striking up a collective harmony, Monty and Don sang "West Texas Wind", with Jellyroll on the harp like a beautiful landscape. They were a group of self-described “Too Old Desperados” sharing a lifetime of stories, making everyone in the room feel like an essential part of the circle, “The Round.”
“Whose turn is it?!” one of them would occasionally yell, as Monty laughed along. After a performance of Alan Jackson's "Midnight in Montgomery," Don jokingly reminded the crowd that he was just a man “drinking wine spritzers,” before pointing across the centre of the stage to call Tony "his true brother".
Tony played a few classic rock riffs from Clapton, Zeppelin, and Deep Purple. “We could be here until next Thursday playing songs we wish we would have written.” But, true to the old Nashville adage to “write what you know,” they transitioned into the wise and wonderful, “Getting Older.”
Monty brought down the house with George Strait's, “Troubadour.” Don Sampson performed “Dusty Bottles” (famously recorded by Willie Nelson), echoing a soulful, deeply reflective outlook on life that felt exactly like sharing a quiet drink with Father Time.
Tony grounded us with “I Used to Worry” (popularized by Blues-Rock artist Delbert McClinton), bringing a humorous, philosophical lens to aging.
As the night drew to a close, Tony bellowed, “Thank you for inviting me here Donnie!” Then Don reminded Tony that it was Tony that invited Don. When Tony performed, "My Mother's Son", I did not take notes. There was not a dry eye in the house.
At the Bluebird Cafe, we are reminded that some of the most legendary songs were written right here. Historic record deals were made on the trust of handshake promises. In the late 1980s, Garth Brooks, not yet signed, sat in the wooden pews of this venue and heard Tony Arata play an unreleased song called, “The Dance.” Brooks vowed to Tony that if he ever landed a major record contract, he would come back to record the piece. After years of other artists having the song passed by others, Brooks returned with a deal from Capitol Records and asked Tony if the track was still available. Tony proudly shared that “The Dance” was available for Brooks to record. It went on to win multiple awards selling multiple copies of the record.
Tonight Tony imparted his wisdom: “For a songwriter, sometimes getting rejected is the best thing that can happen to your career.”
When Tony Arata played “The Dance” at the Bluebird Cafe, patrons were up on their feet, singing along - and no one was ‘sssshhhhd.’
The patrons were slow to disperse, after this magical night. People lingered, met the artists, got posters signed, bought merch and took photos. We had the privilege to meet these masters as well. In our little corner of the Bluebird world, which was the high table in the back next to the bar, (the BEST table in our opinion!) my Godson and I shared a life changing experience. He is from Alabama, while I am from Massachusetts and we both came together in Nashville on a music journey ourselves, discovering in this crossroad that life can be full of wonders, insights, connections and surprises at any age. It is like no other music experience in the world. What a privilege it was to be in this space with family, sharing inspirations that greet the human heart with empathy and enduring wisdom. Thank You, Bluebird Cafe! Do not change a thing, you continue to inspire the next generations. And this Northeast music reviewer will be a friend for life.
