Nashville’s on my mind

Think Nashville and think country music. But the city has so much more to commend it, across both the musical and cultural spectrum.

That impression is forged instantly when, on our first morning, we board the Nashville Old Town Trolley Tour, a hop-on, hop-off attraction affording an informatively leisurely view of the some of the main sights, embellished by commentary from drivers who also proffer amusing advice on dining do’s and don’ts.

At almost glacial pace – the entire 13 stops cover only a few miles in an hour or so – we get to appreciate the Greek Gothic-style architecture reflecting the city’s historical acceptance of Greek philosophies and moniker as the “Athens of the South”. Alight at stop two, Centennial Park, urban Nashville’s best-known verdant space, and you cannot miss the imposing centrepiece, its very own Parthenon, housing a 42-feet Athena statue. Both are replicas of the Athenian originals.

We do wander the park later in our trip. But on day one, it seems natural to alight at stop seven around the Music City Center area, where the building exteriors have the flow of pianos and guitars and the Country Music Hall of Fame is located.

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The must-see museum is the ideal introduction to the enduring sounds of the city, illustrating not only the evolution of country music but its connection to soul, R&B and rock. My better half – a massive country lover – is in awe of the extravagant stage costumes and other memorabilia donated by industry legends and we could easily have loitered for hours.

But we have to make our timeslot for the tour of Nashville’s oldest surviving recording studio, RCA Studio B, which departs by coach from outside the Hall of Fame entrance.

During the short journey, our impressive guide, Ron, reels off a seamless stream of anecdotes about the studio and the stars who have recorded hits there, notably Roy Orbison, the Everly Brothers and Dolly Parton. For example, Ron reveals that the young Dolly made an impact not just on the industry but on the brickwork outside the studio, having crashed her car when late for a recording session.

Elvis is the biggest story. Inside the building, we first encounter the huge wall chart listing the numerous singles Presley cut there from 1958-71, all of which rose high on the Billboard charts. Adjacent is an image of Presley smartly attired in shirt and tie on his first day of recording at Studio B (he was on Army service at the time).

The highlight is being in touching distance of a piece of musical history, the Steinway piano which Elvis played on some of his biggest hits, as Ron provides context and related musical excerpts (Are You Lonely Tonight was recorded in one take, we learn).

If not travelling on to Graceland, this is a more than adequate Elvis fix. And anyway, in music museum terms, Nashville is abundantly well served. As a small sample, we enjoyed the myriad delights of the Johnny Cash Museum, the Musicians Hall of Fame and the National Museum of African American Music, where a popular exhibit allows visiting groups to don choir robes and sing along gustily to the Edwin Hawkins Singers’ 1960s’ gospel hit, Oh Happy Day.

For fans of country, the mecca, of course, is the Grand Ole Opry, which will next year mark its centenary with a programme of celebratory events. Previously housed at the Ryman Auditorium (another recommended tour option), the regular shows and radio broadcasts have for the past half-century been staged at a 4,000-plus seater arena, around a 30-minute taxi ride from the main drag, allowing for the bottleneck as you near the venue.

We join the queues for selfies in front of the giant guitar mock-ups in the heaving forecourt area, detecting a number of British accents among those in line. But although some Scandinavian visitors are name-checked on stage, the fervent crowd is predominantly domestic, with a smattering of Stetsons and a significant blue rinse element.

Not being a country aficionado, the names on the bill mean little to me. But I’m obviously in a minority, judging by the audience reaction. A number of the artists are in what might generously be termed as their autumn years – the opening act self-deprecatingly describe themselves as being on their “see us while you can tour”.

The whoops and hollers from the audience reach a crescendo with the announcement of a surprise guest, Brad Paisley, who my wife informs me, is a grand fromage in the country firmament and whose two songs are the evening’s highlight. And I belatedly discover that the headliner, Vince Gill, has been a member of the Eagles for the past few years.

Grand Ole Opry is the midway point of our holiday, which accommodation-wise, is split between two hotels. The first, the Thompson, is in the Gulch district, with decent bars and restaurants in close proximity. On prominent display in our room is some vinyl by the Raconteurs, one of the many projects of the White Stripes’ Jack White, albeit with no record player to play it - there is, however, one in reception, along with a more varied choice of music. Also on the plus side, a Marshall amp blends perfectly with the room décor.

Indeed, the hotel’s laidback vibe blends nicely with its surrounds and we find a welcoming traditional venue, the Station Inn, nearby to check out a band.

Our second spot, the Noelle, is an elegant 12-storey property reopened as a hotel in 2017. Originally built in 1929 as the Noel, it was then Nashville’s tallest building and hosted luminaries such as Eleanor Roosevelt, Babe Ruth and Clark Gable.

At ground level, the redesign has retained a classic feel with the main bar redolent of the Grand Central Station interior. But from the music - not muzak - in the lifts upwards, it’s stylishly modern. Each floor has a refreshments station offering tea, coffee and water and the room amenities include control of lighting and blinds at the touch of bedside switches – there are even morning and evening settings.

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And while the Thompson and the Noelle are barely a mile apart, the areas can seem worlds removed nocturnally, given the latter’s proximity to the five block stretch of wall-to-wall music venues on Broadway that draw the masses, including a staggering (in all senses) number of hen parties. Even on the Noelle’s ninth floor, the availability of a “sleep machine” – radiating soothing sounds to assist slumber – is a welcome option at the weekend.

As for the musical offerings, some might be dissuaded by the boisterous crowds that overflow the Broadway pavements and the queues for the most popular clubs (“Nash Vegas” is a commonly used term reflecting the neon-streaked nights). But the pay-off is the copious amount of guitar-driven entertainment that can be sampled at almost any hour, with some bars offering a live programme from breakfast onwards. Mostly there is no cover charge but take some cash for tipping the talent.

There are more intimate settings within a short stroll and one of our standout experiences is a front row table at Song Suffragettes at The Listening Room, an acoustic showcase for women artists who perform three songs each with, on our night, the joint encore being a sweetly harmonious cover of Britney’s One More Time.

Food-wise, it’s a blessing that calories are not included on restaurant menus. Breakfasts are indulgent, the “biscuits” featuring heavily on the menu bearing little relation to the British understanding of the word. The vaguely scone-like delicacies come in many forms and with an almost bewildering choice of accompaniments. At the Gulch outlet of the Biscuit Love chain, curiosity inspires me to order its speciality B-Roll – biscuit cinnamon roll topped with pecan sticky bun sauce and served with cream cheese icing. The look is not especially Instagram friendly; the taste heavenly.

The calorific delights of the Pancake Pantry, a Nashville institution, justify the lines outside. Just make sure to add the homemade cinnamon cream syrup.

And just beyond the Broadway music haunts, we discover the Assembly Food Hall, a great spot for a quick bite, with stands from around 30 independent retailers and a live music programme.

Kosher options are limited but if wandering the Vanderbilt University campus (it’s gorgeous), you can lunch at Grins — Nashville’s first certified kosher vegetarian restaurant.

The city’s annual Jewish Film Festival is approaching its quarter-century and there are a small number of synagogues, among them the Sherith Israel – a century-old Orthodox congregation – which we pass on taxi rides to some bucolic attractions (public transport is not Nashville’s greatest selling point).

One is Cheekwood, a sprawling 1930s’ estate incorporating a Georgian mansion and 55 acres of gardens. And we particularly enjoy Belle Meade, established in 1807, where our tour of the mansion reveals far more than some exquisite period furniture and adornments. It’s the story of a family fortune made through breeding champion racehorses and squandered through a blissfully extravagant lifestyle. The site also features a restaurant, ice cream parlour and best of all, the Belle Meade Winery, offering an end-of-tour tasting.

Getting further into the spirit (and history) of Nashville, we take the trolley to Marathon Village, a former motor works that could pass for a cowboy movie set, for a tour and tasting at Nelson’s Green Brier Distillery. There is fascinating insight into how its award-winning whiskies are produced, and, naturally, sampling opportunities. But even more beguiling is the history of the brand, as regaled by our guide Christopher - a man who truly rocks a Stetson. The business was started by Charles Nelson, an immigrant who in 1850 had arrived penniless in New York as a 15-year-old, his father having drowned on the voyage from Germany, weighed down by the family’s gold that was sewn into his suit. Charles’s indomitable wife Louisa developed the business after his passing until prohibition forced its closure in 1909. Exactly a century later, Charles’s great-great-great grandsons revived the company that had helped popularise the term “Tennessee whiskey” in America and Europe.

It’s the stuff of a country song.

British Airways has direct flights from London to Nashville. Information on the Thompson from www.hyatt.com and the Noelle from www.noelle-nashville.com