Nashville is a storied city in the most literal sense - a place built on imagination, interpretation, and narration. Alongside the songs and songwriters, journalists have played an under-rated role in building the idea and brand and renown of Music City. I got up to speed in this town reading Robert K. Oermann, Chet Flippo, Bill Friskics-Warren and other greats. But in the 21st century so far, nobody’s written the Music City story with more depth, discernment and humor than author, reporter, songwriter, producer and baseball fanatic Peter Cooper, who died on Tuesday at the age of 52.
Omnivore Recordings has released Mighty Fine, An Austin City Limits Tribute to Walter Hyatt, featuring 17 performances by luminaries including Lyle Lovett, Jimmie Dale Gilmore, Marcia Ball, Junior Brown and the surviving members of Uncle Walt’s Band, Champ Hood and David Ball. (Hood has since died from cancer.) Earlier this year, the same label issued Uncle Walt’s Band Recorded Live at Waterloo Ice House, an enthralling time capsule of the band’s live dynamic captured over several nights in 1982.