(Since I have a broken wrist, special thanks to Bev Moser for typing this interview.)
Three-time Grammy Award winner and Rock & Roll Hall of Fame member Reese Wynans has spent more than six decades performing with some of the most influential artists in blues, rock, soul and country music.
Best known for his work as a member of Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble, the celebrated keyboardist has also performed and recorded with artists including Joe Bonamassa, Buddy Guy, Boz Scaggs, Delbert McClinton, Albert Collins, Carole King and many others.
Wynans returns to one of the venues that helped shape his Nashville journey for a special night honoring decades of influential music and lasting friendships for Reese Wynans & Friends at 3rd & Lindsley. Tickets to this special event on Friday, August 21 at 8pm are on sale now at 3rd & Lindsley. The performance will feature a band of acclaimed Nashville musicians, along with several special guests.
Tell us about the upcoming Reese Wynans & Friends show at 3rd & Lindsley.
Reese Wynans: 3rd & Lindsley is a place I have been going to for 35 years. It has been a wonderful music venue. Ron Brice is the owner, and he is a great guy. I bet I have been in there with a dozen different bands.
Ever since my record came out about eight years ago, Ron has been trying to get me to come in and play some songs from it. Now I am finally off the road for a little while, so I put this band together with some friends here in town who are great players.
We have got Lynn Williams on drums, Alison Prestwood on bass, Kevin McKendree on keyboards, and Kenny Greenberg on guitar. Alison recently finished a tour with Peter Frampton, Kevin is a great piano player and producer who has played with everybody in town, and Kenny is currently working with Kenny Chesney.
I’ve also got some guests coming in to perform. Jimmy Hall is going to sing. Janelle Mosser is coming in for a couple of songs, as is Yates McKendree, an up-and-coming young blues artist.
It’s going to be a night of terrific music. It will also be the first time this band has played together, so the audience will get to see our very first show.
Your album, Sweet Release, includes Sam Moore singing “Crossfire.” How did that collaboration come together?
Wynans: I was unbelievably fortunate.
When we wrote that song back in the ’80s, I remember our bass player, who came up with a riff for the song, saying, “This sounds like a Sam & Dave song.” That stayed with me through the years.
We had a big hit with “Crossfire,” and I told that story to Joe Bonamassa, who produced the album. Joe said, “Let’s see if Sam wants to do this.”
We sent Sam the track, and he sent back a vocal saying how much he loved it. His vocals sounded great. It was perfect for the song.
I later got to meet him and perform the song with him a couple of times. Those were magical moments for me and some of the highlights of my life.
“Sweet Release” is also the title track of the album. What drew you back to that song?
Wynans: “Sweet Release” is an old song I played when I was working with Boz Scaggs a long time ago. I always thought it was a great song.
We played it every night, usually somewhere in the middle of the set, and it was mildly received. But I kept thinking, “Man, this is just a great song.” It was one of those songs that stayed with me through the years.
When we recorded it for the album, Joe came up with the idea of having different people sing the verses. It became quite a production. We added horns and a lot of background singing, and I thought it turned out well. It became the focal point of the record.
Will the 3rd & Lindsley performance focus primarily on music from Sweet Release?
Wynans: We’re going to do a song or two from the record, but we are also going to perform a couple of Delbert McClinton songs. Delbert is someone I played with for about five years.
We will also do a couple of Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble songs. We are going to perform songs associated with Carole King and Allen Toussaint as well.
It will be a variety of music: old songs, new songs, rock songs, blues songs, and a little bit of everything.
“Shape I’m In” is one of the album’s most energetic performances. Does its message resonate with you personally?
Wynans: That is my anthem, too. I am doing pretty good for the shape I am in.
You have received significant awards and honors and have worked with some of music’s most respected artists. What continues to motivate you?
Wynans: It is hard to explain as I approach the threshold of being 80 years old.
All I can say is that I have been doing this for 60 years, and I love it. I love playing. I love performing for people, and I love being on the road. I do not want to be on the road all the time, but I still want to be out there some of the time.
What drives me to continue is the idea of putting positive energy out into the world. I feel like I still have something to say musically. It feels positive to me, and it is positive for a lot of other people.
I’ve received great responses and standing ovations everywhere I’ve played. It is healthy to put that kind of energy into the world. As long as I can do it, I will continue doing it.
You have been recognized by the Grammys and several major music halls of fame. Which career accomplishments are especially meaningful to you?
Wynans: I have three Grammys, and I am a member of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, the Austin City Limits Hall of Fame and the Musicians Hall of Fame.
I have traveled extensively around the world performing concerts, and I am one of the few people who has had the opportunity to play with some of the legendary guitarists in rock and blues history.
That includes people like Duane Allman, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Buddy Guy, Albert Collins, Boz Scaggs, Joe Bonamassa and many others.
You moved to Nashville in the 1990s. What makes the city such a special place for musicians?
Wynans: I moved here in the ’90s, and Nashville has an extraordinary community.
When you are putting a band together, some of the best musicians you know all happen to live right here. That is a wonderful thing.
This city has a fantastic community of musicians and songwriters, along with great recording studios and engineers. It is an exceptional place for a musician to live.
There are not many places like it. Austin has a wonderful musical community, and so does Los Angeles, along with several other cities. But Nashville is the place I chose, and I’m completely happy with my decision to be here.
With a career spanning more than 60 years, Reese Wynans continues to approach music with the enthusiasm of an artist who believes there are still songs to play, musicians to celebrate, and positive energy to share.
Reese Wynans & Friends at 3rd & Lindsley will offer audiences an opportunity to hear music from throughout Wynans’ career, performed by one of Nashville’s most accomplished groups of musicians and special guests.
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Bethany Bowman is a freelance entertainment writer. You can follow her blog, Instagram, and TikTok.
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