Nashville Blues

Nashville Blues was written and originally recorded by the Delmore Brothers, (shown here), who were among the best of the original country "brother duets", which is saying something when you're in company with the likes of the Monroe and Louvin brothers. Their music evolved over nearly three decades, providing a bridge between traditional and commercial country, especially by way of their boogie woogie pieces like Freight Train Boogie.

Country brother duets are known as much for their harmonies as for their instrumental arrangements and the Delmores are no exception. Here's a clip of their original take on The Nashville Blues. It is taken from the JSP 4 CD set shown at the bottom of the page:

Audio Clip: Nashville Blues as played by The Delmore Brothers

Nashville Blues has been covered by many artists since, including two of the most influential flatpickers of all time, Doc Watson and Norman Blake. Have a listen to the clips from their versions of the tune. You can hear the full versions on the recordings featured below, both of which are classics and highly recommended. (FYI: Our first Level 3 solo to Nashville Blues borrows significantly from the instrumental break that opens the Norman Blake version.)

Audio clip: Nashville Blues as played by Doc Watson

Audio Clip: Nashville Blues as played by Norman Blake