We have promised this week’s show, and I’m pleased to say we are about to deliver it. We’ve celebrated the mandolin and the fiddle in country music and there are more stringed instruments we could honour. This week, however, it’s all about the trumpet, the trombone and any amount of saxophones you care to throw in.
The brass section, so much a part of rhythm and blue records is an unlikely fellow traveller to country music…but hold that thought. From the early days of the 78 side to the new age of streaming there has been a fair amount of blowin’ goin’ on.In the second hour of ths week’s AC we shall hear from Ray Charles, Bobbie Gentry, Lyle Lovett and Alison Krauss. In each case brass instruments play a signature part of some seminal country recordings.
Before all of that we’re going to spend a little time thinking about, what is always, one of the biggest nights in the country calendar. The CMA Awards night this coming Wednesday is a good barometer of where the main stream country music is at. As ever, there will be new names who have still not broken through overseas as well as some big names who continue to enjoy success in the heartland. It will be the middle of the night in this country when the show goes live from The Bridgestone Arena in downtown Nashville. No real surprises are expected with some of these names vying for a gong. But hey, there will always be a few artist worth watching. Here’s the roll call: Morgan Wallen tops the list with seven nominations, while other top nominees include Cody Johnson and Chris Stapleton with five nominations, and Post Malone and Lainey Wilson with four nominations each. Louis Bell, Luke Combs, Charlie Handsome, Hoskins, Jelly Roll, Megan Moroney and Kacey Musgraves each secure three nominations. Vying for the night’s highest honor, CMA Entertainer of the Year, is Luke Combs, Jelly Roll, Chris Stapleton, Morgan Wallen and Lainey Wilson.
Lest we forget….the creator of the most exciting album this year wont be there:
Around AC land we are hoping for more success for Lainey Wilson and Megan Moroney but we are also excited about a couple of new bluegrass acts coming through. So, join us this week as we spend two hours celebrating the best in country music. It all starts from 8 p.m. this Tuesday evening on BBC Sounds and BBC Radio Scotland.
