‘An Evening with The Grand Ole Oprey’

By Alix Cohen

The Grand Ole Oprey began in 1925 as Nashville’s “WSM Barn Dance”, a simple radio show of fiddle tunes and folk songs. A joking, on-air remark gave it the formal name. Quickly becoming country music’s most famous stage, the Oprey launched stars like Hank Williams and Dolly Parton, keeping its homespun spirit alive almost 100 years.

Queen of Bluegrass, Rhonda Vincent, opens the show on mandolin with her terrific band. “Blue Moon Kentucky” (Bill Monroe 1946) evokes head bobbing and foot tapping. Vincent is warm and personable. Scott McCreery, who won season 10 of American Idol, follows with the song as Elvis performed it, bent legs but no pelvis action.

Vincent’s “Nine to Five” (Dolly Parton) and her welcoming arrangement of “Take Me Home Country Roads” (John Denver/Bill Danoff/
Taffy Nivert) are infectiously high spirited and homey.

Representing the new wave of country performers, Mexican American, Oklahoma born singer, Wyatt Flores, earnestly offers two of his own rockabilly compositions. “South Dakota…I barely knew her” goes out to his girlfriend in the audience. Unfortunately sOund design makes lyrics unintelligible.

The War and Treaty (a proud veteran and his wife) fuse country and soul. A wonderfully original arrangement of “(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay” (Otis Redding/Steve Cropper) is molasses slow and captivating. The War tells us it was Redding’s first attempt at country music.

“Five More Minutes to Love” (Stonewall Jackson), “Yesterday’s Burn”: “Lay in my arms and I’ll serenade…At least by tomorrow/You won’t feel yesterday’s burn…” and “You Can’t Hurt Me Anymore” (the latter two original), arrive on fine vocals, though again, sound design muffles most lyrics. The duo are lovely to watch, affection as apparent as talent.

Henry Cho is the only comic inducted into The Oprey in fifty years. Korean born, raised in Knoxville, the comic is clean, affable, and definitely southern. “My boys names are Jackson and Grant because we knew they’d fight.” “A few weeks ago, my wife got her identity stolen, but whoever it is spends less, so om gonna let it ride.”

McCreery returns with “Damn Straight”, his own tribute to hero George Strait, “It Matters to Her”, and his first #1 single, “Five More Minutes” replete with cool slides. Lyrics were lost.

Raised on a Knoxville farm, Kelsea Ballerini was inducted in 2019, at the time the youngest Oprey member in 100 years. She tells us she was attracted to the honesty of country music. “If You Go Down” and “Make the World Go Away”: “Say the things you used to say/Make the world go away…” are delivered with a sob in her voice.

A rousing, anthemic “Will the Circle Be Unbroken (By and By)” (A.P. Carter of The Carter Family) closes the evening.

The concert ran over. Host Charlie Mattos, informative and entertaining, was necessarily long winded, as set-ups took extended time. I can only hope lyric quotes are correct. All artists expressed feelings of privilege to make debuts at Carnegie Hall. A feeling of family pervaded. Musicianship was top notch.

Photos by Fadi Kheir
Opening left to right: War, Treaty, Rhonda Vincent, Scotty McCreery, Kelsea Ballerini, Henry Cho, Wyatt Flores

An Evening with The Grand Ole Oprey
Host- Charlie Mattos
Musical Director- Kerry Marx
Carnegie Hall 57th Street and 7th Avenue
Events: https://www.carnegiehall.org/Events