Culture M U S I C
East Nash Grass Written by D A N N Y M AY
Photo by M I C K E Y D O B O
THE LAST TIME MANDOLINIST JAMES KEE PLAYED AT THE FORMER INTERNATIONAL B L U E G R A S S M U S I C M U S E U M I N 2 0 1 7, H E REMEMBERS LOOKING OUT HIS HOTEL WINDOW AND SEEING THE STEEL BEAMS GOING UP FOR THE NEW HALL OF FAME BUILDING. ON SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 5, KEE RETURNS TO OWENSBORO ALONGSIDE HIS BANDMATES IN EAST NASH GRASS FOR THEIR DEBUT PERFORMANCE AT THE BLUEGRASS MUSIC HALL OF FAME AND MUSEUM.
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Owensboro Living J A N U A R Y / / F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 2
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ast Nash Grass has been called a “who’s who of Nashville’s hottest young pickers.” There’s certainly a buzz surrounding the band, but don’t think of them as up-and-comers. With a recent review in Bluegrass Unlimited, a showcase at the International Bluegrass Music Association festival in September, and the release of their debut album this past July, the band has clearly arrived. Except for fiddle player Maddie Denton, who lives in nearby Murfreesboro, Tennessee, the other members are Nashville transplants who moved to Nashville to pursue music. About the same time the eventual members of East Nash Grass arrived in Nashville, a new live music venue was starting on the east side of Nashville, called Dee’s Lounge. Feeding on the vibe of that emerging venue, James Kee assembled a pickup band and secured a regular house band slot on Monday nights at Dee’s. Eventually, the lineup solidified,
and East Nash Grass was born. Being from Tennessee, Kee says bluegrass music was always in his ears and seeped into his soul. When he came to Nashville, that innate love of bluegrass was renewed. Dee’s Lounge was one of the first gigs he found. “There’s no real market for bluegrass downtown, other than the Station Inn, so we sort of had to create our own little bluegrass niche in Nashville,” Kee explained. So, that’s what they did at Dee’s Lounge. Week after week, the band grew tighter, and started writing original songs. They began recording just before COVID hit, and were able to finish the record during the pandemic, which was released in July 2021. “We’re now promoting that record, and would love to get back in the studio soon and start on the next one,” Kee said. In the meantime, Dee’s Lounge has turned into a popular live music venue. In fact, the week before this interview, East Nash Grass even did a pop-up
