Nashville sound

The Nashville Sound is a style of production and arrangement that dominated mainstream Country music from the 1950s through the 1970s. It was developed by producer Owen Bradley with the intention of expanding the appeal of country music beyond rural and Southern audiences. It can be characterized by its smooth vocal performances, the relaxed feel of its ensemble accompaniment, and its incorporation of a variety of country and Pop influences. Most Nashville Sound recordings were backed by a group of session musicians known as the Nashville A-Team. They were known to arrange songs on the spot during recording sessions as well as to record live in-room with vocalists. Ensembles most commonly consisted of lead guitar, two rhythm guitars, pedal steel guitar, fiddle, and a distinctive rhythm section comprised of piano, bass line doubled between upright bass and baritone guitar, and drums played sparsely with limited bass drum. Beyond these elements, producers would tailor the sound of a session to their artists’ personal styles. Recordings would variously incorporate the instrumentation, rhythms, and aesthetics of genres such as Honky Tonk, Rockabilly, Appalachian Folk Music, Folk Pop, Bluegrass, Blues, and Western.