Dylan, Cash, and the Nashville Cats: A New Music City: Album Release Concert

To celebrate the release of Dylan, Cash, and the Nashville Cats: A New Music City, a two-disc audio companion to the exhibition of the same name, the Country Music Hall of Fame ® and Museum hosts a free concert on 5th Avenue South, between Demonbreun Street and Korean Veterans Boulevard, hosted by Hippie Radio’s Whit Hubner and Chris Lucky.

The all-star line-up of artists set to perform includes John Carter Cash and Ana Cristina, Julie Christensen, Charlie Daniels, Radney Foster, Jeff Hanna (Nitty Gritty Dirt Band), Jamie Hartford, Al Kooper, Kathy Mattea, Tracy Nelson (who contributed to the album’s liner notes), Michael Nesmith (Monkees), Jason Ringenberg (Jason & The Scorchers), Britt Ronstadt (Linda Ronstadt’s niece), Steve Young, and special guests. Tracks from the new album will be performed live by Music City favorites the Long Players led by Bill Lloyd (serving as the evening’s house band) and by some of the legendary session players from the original recordings, including Nashville Cats Mac Gayden, Country Music Hall of Fame member Charlie McCoy and Norbert Putnam.

The family-friendly evening begins at 5 p.m. with face painting and balloon artists for kids.  Some of Nashville’s favorite food trucks will be on hand, and guests will be able to purchase Mexican cuisine, including tacos, quesadillas, and flautas—as well as wine, beer and margaritas—from Bajo Sexto Taco, located at the museum. The concert begins at 6:00 p.m. and the first 500 attendees to arrive will receive a commemorative Hatch Show Print poster.

The album Dylan, Cash, and the Nashville Cats: A New Music City, featuring a previously unreleased version of Bob Dylan’s “If Not for You” and 35 other essential tracks, will be released on June 16. Issued jointly by Sony Legacy Recordings and the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum,  the collection features classic recordings such as the Byrds’ “You Ain’t Going Nowhere,” J.J. Cale’s “Crazy Mama,” Johnny Cash’s “It Ain’t Me, Babe,” Leonard Cohen’s “Bird on the Wire,” Bob Dylan’s “Absolutely Sweet Marie,” George Harrison’s “Behind That Locked Door,” John Hartford’s “Gentle on My Mind,” Paul McCartney’s “Sally G,” the Monkees’ “Some of Shelly’s Blues,” Nitty Gritty Dirt Band’s “Will the Circle Be Unbroken,” Simon & Garfunkel’s “The Boxer” and Neil Young’s “Heart of Gold,” among others. The CD set closes with Derek & the Dominos (fronted by Eric Clapton), Carl Perkins and Johnny Cash performing “Matchbox” on the Johnny Cash Show in 1970.