Ron Wynn

Nashville

Sports and Entertainment Editor at The Tennessee Tribune

Freelance Contributor at The Bluegrass Situation

Articles

R&B star comes to Nashville

2 weeks ago | tntribune.com | Ron Wynn

One of the finest vocalists among contemporary R&B stylists returns to Nashville this week. Howard Hewett will be performing at the City Winery Saturday night. His brilliant career dates back to his childhood years on the gospel circuit, where he worked with his older sisters in the Hewett Singers group. He switched to secular music as a teen, working in the funk band Lyfe. But his first big break in the R&B world came with the beloved trio Shalamar.
Another Look: Ben Graves, ‘Settle Down’

3 weeks ago | nashvillescene.com | Ron Wynn

Vocalist, guitarist and songwriter Ben Graves’ Settle Down, released in October, brings the balance of precision and spontaneity as well as the instrumental flair that characterizes a jazz date to what is predominantly (though not entirely) a pop record. The degree of musical integrity and ability displayed not only by Graves but also fellow contributors Matt Rollins (keyboards), Viktor Krauss (bass) and Jano Rix (drums) is a massive bonus to the release.
Alison Joy Williams Dives Deep Into the Blues

1 month ago | nashvillescene.com | Ron Wynn

Playing 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 7, at 3rd and LindsleyThroughout her career, explosive vocalist and songwriter Alison Joy Williams has done a bit of everything — from rock and pop to country, Americana and gospel. But the blues remains the genre she most enjoys. While she has appeared in numerous venues and at festivals across the U.S. and around the world, she considers Nashville her second home, even since relocating to the Pacific Northwest.
Another Look: Valerie June, ‘Owls, Omens, and Oracles’

1 month ago | nashvillescene.com | Ron Wynn

Dynamic vocalist andinstrumentalist Valerie June delivers 14 conceptually challenging, lyrically intriguing numbers on her newest release Owls, Omens, and Oracles. She's exploring the realm of spirituality, both in terns of personal beliefs and social impact. These songs espouse and celebrate expressions of joy, with June's vocals consistently engaging and exuberant. M.
Classic gospel, contemporary blues artists come to Nashville

2 months ago | tntribune.com | Ron Wynn

By Ron WynnOne of gospel’s finest groups and the son of a legendary blues musician will be appearing in Nashville to get April underway in fine fashion. They are both coming to the City Winery, with the Blind Boys of Alabama slated to appear there April 1 and Cedric Burnside on April 3.
Another Look: Ryan Middagh Jazz Orchestra, ‘Tenor Madness’

2 months ago | nashvillescene.com | Ron Wynn

Since COVID lockdown, we’ve run a recurring print column called Another Look that rounds up several super-brief record reviews. It’s a way to highlight worthy releases from Nashville-residing musicians during the past few months that we haven’t yet covered in-depth. The time has come for an evolution: Rather than one whopping article, we’re revamping Another Look as a series of single short reviews, with one or more iterations online each week.
Fisk makes more athletic history

2 months ago | tntribune.com | Ron Wynn

When Fisk University announced it was starting gymnastics back in the fall of 2022, the general feeling was great in terms of symbolic importance, but beyond that, what would be the impact? As the first HBCU to venture into this athletic area, there was no precedent, nothing to make a comparison with or to beyond simply wanting to do well. That first team in 2023 was profiled everywhere from CNN to CBS and on the NCAA’s website.
Gary Clark Unifies All Sectors of the Blues World

Mar 5, 2025 | nashvillescene.com | Ron Wynn

Playing March 6 (with opener Danielle Ponder) and March 7 (with opener Grace Bowers) at the RymanThough he would most likely embrace this notion reluctantly, if at all, Gary Clark Jr. stands tall among the few contemporary artists with the creative imagination and technical ability to reach every segment of the blues community.
Levert Experience comes to Nashville

Feb 27, 2025 | tntribune.com | Ron Wynn

Vocal groups aren’t exactly flourishing these days in R&B/soul circles, which makes the trio known as the Levert Experience quite unusual. But they also have extremely impressive credentials. Marc Gordon was a producer and original founding member of the famed trio Levert, teaming with Gerald and Sean Levert to make a series of hits from the late ‘80s into the early and mid-90s. Later, he was also part of a second act known as the Levert Reunion.
Lorenzo Washington Keeps the Jefferson Street Legacy Going

Feb 25, 2025 | nashvillescene.com | Ron Wynn

When the names of legendary Black music communities are cited, you often and immediately hear about places in Harlem, Chicago, Philadelphia or Detroit, and such sites as Beale Street in Memphis or Central Avenue in Los Angeles. But Lorenzo Washington wants the world to know that Nashville’s Jefferson Street in its heyday was every bit as busy as any of those places, and its legacy equally as important.