[123] ‘Music City USA’ gets ‘jazzed up’ on ‘MTSU On the Record’ radio program

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. —An MTSU faculty member shares his musical knowledge with a wide audience on the next “MTSU On the Record” radio program.

Host Gina Logue’s interview with Bill Levine, a professor of English, will air from 9:30 to 10 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 2, and from 6 to 6:30 a.m. Sunday, Oct. 7, on WMOT-FM Roots Radio 89.5 and www.wmot.org.

Levine, a jazz aficionado, was interviewed about the history of jazz music played and recorded in Nashville for the Aug. 23 edition of National Public Radio’s “Jazz Night in America” with host Christian McBride. He also is working on a book about jazz music in Nashville.

Among the interesting facts Levine brings to light are the sessions John Coltrane recorded in Nashville, a Ferlin Husky album that featured some Cannonball Adderley tunes and Chet Atkins’ mentorship of jazz guitarist Lenny Breau.

Levine said that, while Nashville always has had jazz clubs and jazz players among session musicians, the city’s country music reputation tends to overshadow other genres for some people outside the recording industry.

“I think tourists probably are looking for what they believe is ‘authentic Nashville’ in the honky-tonks on lower Broadway or in the Grand Ole Opry out in the suburbs,” Levine said. “Maybe it really takes some effort to see that second and third dimension of what musicians do.”

The audio from the Aug. 23 edition of “Jazz Night in America” featuring Levine can be heard at https://tinyurl.com/yc58vare.

To hear previous “MTSU On the Record” programs, go to http://bit.ly/mtsu-otr.

For more information about the radio program, contact Logue at 615-898-5081 or WMOT-FM at 615-898-2800.