After a quick bite to eat at Baja Burrito in Green Hills (…blech! Americanized Mexican with absolutely NO flavor), last night we went to the Bluebird Cafe for yet another evening “in the round” with some up-and-coming songwriters.
Tonight’s line-up included:
- Dylan Altman (has a few hits on the radio with Trace Adkins and Tim McGraw)
- Sean “Turk” McNamara (an Irish Pub “regular” kinda guy)
- Morry Trent (more of a songwriter than a singer, but every word comes straight from the heart)
- Johnny Reid (our neighbor)
What fun!
The Songwriters “In The Round”
Dylan Altman
It was a joy to see Dylan Altman for the first time. Though he didn’t seem to have too much in common with the others — kind of doing his own thing, and he’s probably had the most “hits” on the radio to date. Two of the hits that he played tonight were:
- “Watch The Wind Blow By” — a #1 hit on Tim McGraw‘s album with the Dancehall Doctors
- “Baby I’m Home” on Trace Adkins‘ album, Songs About Me
And we were thrilled that he turned out to be another songwriter who can actually sing too (…a rarity). We enjoyed watching and listening to Dylan. We’ll definitely keep our eye out for more from him.
“Turk” (because he was born on Thanksgiving Day) 
Turk and Morry write a lot of their songs together. Turk’s songs have a Celtic flair to them — very upbeat and snappy. Plus, we have something in common: HIS name is “turk”, and WE drink a lot of “turk”… So there you have it!
Morry Trent
His songs are all a reflection of his personal life. Jim even commented that his style resembled that of Bob Dylan, in a sense.
- Here’s Morry Trent’s Facebook page.
- Here’s Morry Trent’s bio.
Johnny Reid 
Finally, the one… the only… Johnny Reid. This, my friends, is a CLASS ACT. For real. You could tell from the first moment he opened up his mouth, the audience was completely captivated by him. Yeah, there’s that thick Scottish accent which I’m sure a lot of folks were diggin’. And yeah, every girl in the place was taken by his charm (including the 60-something woman to our left who kept oogling and commenting, “Oooh, he’s so cute!”). But it was more than that… much more. This guy can SING! His voice is crisp and strong at any octave. He can carry a note (in virtually any key) much longer than most. He gets completely lost within each song as he sings it… and you can’t help but become completely entranced by both his energy and his words. The best part to me: He writes everything he sings! Now that’s talent… a bona fide singer and songwriter. I’m telling you. We may have just discovered Johnny Reid recently, but the music fans in Scotland and Canada will tell you. This guy’s the real deal. He’s already a mega-star over there. And now he’s bringin’ it to the States. I, for one, am glad that he’s here. And, I guarantee that after you hear him, you will be too.
Check out my reviews of Johnny Reid’s albums Born to Roll and Kicking Stones.
Franky Perez
Oh, and I can’t end without commenting on another songwriter (from Las Vegas) that Johnny introduced at the end of the show: Franky Perez.
Franky and Johnny met a few weeks ago. Wrote three songs together the other night. Then, Johnny invited him to sing one of his own songs here “in the round”. It was called “She’s Somebody’s Someone” and it was awesome! I’d say Franky Perez is another one to watch for… UPDATE: As it turns out, Franky’s been around the block a few times himself. He’s pretty BIG already, and he’s got quite a following. By the way, his music is NOT Country.
- Here’s Franky’s bio.
- Here’s Franky’s Facebook page.
A Good Time Was Had By All
In the end, we definitely got our money’s worth (the early shows at the Bluebird are always FREE… We had a GREAT time, and found a couple more songwriters to keep our eye on!
April 26, 2005 we headed to the Bluebird Cafe to see four great guys “in the round”.
Here are a few more photos from this night…
Johnny Reid Knocks The Girls’ Socks Off
Johnny Reid stole all the girls’ attention and melted their hearts with his accent.
Sean “Turk” McNamara
Sean “Turk” McNamara was responsible for bringing this group of guys together.
Dylan Altman Is A Great Singer/Songwriter
We were pleasantly surprised to meet Dylan Altman at the Bluebird on this night. He’s a really talented songwriter AND singer.
Morry Trent At The Bluebird Cafe
This guy sings right from his heart… you can “feel” his emotion as he’s singing the songs he’s penned.
Living Out Loud
Johnny Reid is singing at the top of his lungs “in the round” at the Bluebird Cafe in Nashville.
Dylan Altman Playing Guitar…
…with a beer bottle! Dylan is accompanying Johnny Reid on guitar by using a beer bottle –instead of a pick.
It All Came Together “In The Round”
Sean “Turk” McNamara and Morry Trent in the round at the Bluebird Cafe in Nashville, Tennessee.
Time For A Ballad
Whether he’s rockin’ the house, or bringing a tear to your eye with a ballad, Johnny Reid is a class act… a singer/songwriter we were fortunate to see for FREE at the Bluebird. This guy will be headlining somewhere soon!
…It Was The Beer!
Dylan had the audience’s attention when he started playing guitar with a beer bottle, instead of a pick.
Up Close & Personal With Johnny Reid
Without a doubt, Johnny Reid stole the show at the Bluebird Cafe on this night…
Franky Perez Has A Lot Of Fans
The audience at the Bluebird Cafe got a special surprise when Johnny introduced a new pal from Las Vegas, Franky Perez. He’s another amazing singer/songwriter. I’m now a fan! As are all these people. Franky is from Las Vegas, and he’s quite popular out west. He was in town to do a little songwriting with Johnny Reid this week.
He Is One With His Guitar
Johnny Reid is talented at the mic as a singer, on the back deck of his house as a songwriter, and at the guitar as a musician.
A Man And His Microphone
This guy was born to roll…
Singer… Songwriter… Storyteller!
Johnny Reid is an incredible storyteller… both in his songs, and in his lead-in before he introduces a song. You can’t help but smile after hearing him tell one of the stories behind his songs! Captured here is his classic smirk/smile.
We moved from Florida to Tennessee in 2001. All signs point to the fact that we will probably retire here — by choice. We L O V E Nashville! Our favorite places to live are just south of the City — we’ve had houses in Brentwood, Franklin, and Spring Hill. And we have properties in Leipers Fork, Cookeville, and Lewisburg. This site is where I share my best tips for moving your family to Nashville and/or visiting Nashville for the first time — with the ultimate goal of helping you find fun things to do in Williamson County and Davidson County. When I’m not out & about enjoying the Nashville area, you’ll find me at the corner of Good News & Fun Times as publisher of The Fun Times Guide (32 fun & helpful websites). To date, I’ve written over 500 articles on this site! Many of them have upwards of 100K shares.
