Before “urban renewal” and the interstate bulldozed their way through the heart of Nashville’s black community, erasing in its wake a host of irreplaceable clubs and other businesses, this city had a blues/R&B tradition every bit as lauded as its country and gospel ones. That rich history gets celebrated every Tuesday night at Carol Ann’s Home Cooking Cafe on Murfreesboro Road, which is also one of the nation’s finest soul-food sites. Every Tuesday night, the establishment showcases dynamic live R&B. The event was the brainchild of Jimmy Church, a vital participant during the heyday of Nashville R&B who’s still active today, and usually the show’s emcee. Grown Folks Night brings back, at least for one night a week, the animated, intense and powerful sounds that are vastly different from what’s heard on today’s urban airwaves. RON WYNN
Best Blues/R&B Showcase
Grown Folks Night at Carol Ann’s Cooking Cafe
