After 15 straight years of touring, being home has been a great gift. But…I do miss the morning drives through spaces in America that aren’t considered worth commodifying. No billboards. Arbys. Targets. Parking lots. Just the road, the ground, and the sky. #travel #southdakota #tour
Two of Nashville’s top jazz musicians are the guests on our podcast, MACC Talk, this week. We speak with saxophonist, Max Abrams, about his new role as Executive and Artistic Director of Nashville Jazz Workshop. We also talk with the terrific vocalist, Monica Ramey, about her upcoming year-long residency at NJW.
It’s a great conversation about Music City’s new jazz age. Click the link in our stories to listen.
Thanks again @maxwellabrams@monicarameyofficial of @nashvillejazz and to @nashvilleinteriors who sponsored this episode of MACC Talk! 🦋
#macctalk #nashvillejazzworkshop #nashvillejazz #nashvilleinteriors #themacc
38 years ago my father, the late David Abrams, booked a guitar player named Roy Buchanan to play the Ellington Fellowship Playhouse, a little club he and his buddies cooked up in my hometown so they didn’t have to drive to Richmond to see the bands they loved.
Roy was one of the greatest of all time. My dad snuck me in the back and hid me behind the soundboard so I could watch him burn the room down. It was one of the best shows I’ve ever seen. Changed my life.
The drummer on stage with Roy that night was Tom Hambridge.
27 years later, on a boat the middle of the ocean, Tom heard me with The Mavericks and asked if I’d play on a few records he was producing. A lot of the acts were the same ones my dad used to book. Some were big, some were small, but Tom was great at his job. The tracks always had the stuff.
Last night, a record I played on for Tom, Buddy Guy’s Ain’t Done With The Blues, won the Grammy for Best Traditional Blues Album. The 2 guys responsible of getting me there, my dad and Raul, aren’t around to thank, for well, everything, so I’m thanking them here because a lot of you loved those 2 as much as I did and I figured you’d get a kick out of all the strings that tied together last night.
Anyway….Thanks for reading. Hope you’re staying warm.
Love ya.
-Max
#grammys #nashville #music
We played stadiums and VFW halls. Rolled through blizzards in Fargo and flaming vineyards in Napa. Broke down in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan. Drank Champaign in Spain. Played Stardust in a hotel bar in Scotland. Won a bar fight in New Orleans. Didn’t get arrested in Denmark. Jammed with Willie in Dallas. Saw the Aurora Borealis above the Arctic Circle. Ate croissants in Paris. Played Guantanamera in Havana.
Raul got a 9 piece band through 1,549 damn good shows. He cracked 12 notes in 13 years. He never stopped growing as a musician, or as a person. He stayed friends with people that loudly disagreed with him. He played the best version of Stardust I’ve ever heard. He knew the best restaurant in London and Lincoln. He could casually wear an ascot.
And, god, that voice.
All the sadness in the world.
All the gratitude there could ever be.
Onward.
-Max
#raulmalo #themavericks #fuckcancer #nashville
My friend @gladysfuentes at The @houstonpress wrote a really nice piece about the fundraiser I'm doing for Raul with my version of Harvest Moon. Take a read if you get a moment!
/music/max-abrams-finds-a-way-to-give-back/
@the_mavericks #saxophone #fuckcancer
Headed to see @the_mavericks this weekend at @theryman ⁉️ Don’t forget to add our annual brunch with @maxwellabrams on to your schedule!
Max will be taking over our first floor stage from 11:30am - 2:15pm with The Nashville Samba Society 🎷 This event is free to attend and all ages are welcome!
Enjoy $1 off @highrisebeverage & our Broadway Espresso Martini featuring @absolutus & @owensmixers 🍸
RSVP for free at the link in bio 👉
#nashville #brunch #mavericks #maxabrams #broadway #familyfriendly
