Nashville's musical legacy extends far beyond the mainstream country narrative. Tucked away in North Nashville, the Jefferson Street Sound Museum stands as a testament to the rich cultural heritage of jazz, soul, and rhythm and blues that thrived from the 1940s to the 70s. Founded and curated by Lorenzo Washington, this museum isn't just a collection of artifacts – it's a living, breathing continuation of the African American music and community that shaped generations.

We’re talking about artists like Jimi Hendrix, Etta James, James Brown, Little Richard, Peggy Gaines, Jimmy Church, Jackie Shane, Ike and Tina Turner and many more, when they played the many clubs that lined Jefferson Street, alongside the local enterprises that provided ‘everything you need to sustain a community’. That was until around half a century ago, when the construction of Interstate 40 displaced more than a thousand black residents, destroyed a business and cultural district on Jefferson Street that was thriving against the odds, and cut the neighbourhood in half.

Lorenzo tells of how ‘black museums start in the kitchen’ – literally – and his was no different. What he thought might last a year or so has since grown to consume his entire house, win multiple awards, and spawn a new generation of folk taking up the mantle. The brilliant short film on PBS, Exit 207, opens with Lorenzo walking astride young leader Carlos Partee, founder of the Nashville Black Market, just part of the cultural and economic resurgence on and around Jefferson Street. And Lorenzo’s open mic nights, recording studio, community events, conversations with legends and more, continue not just to preserve a legacy, but to create one. 

I met up with this dapper, funny, humble and still sprightly 82-year-old at the Museum, as he was gearing up for the Annual Gala on April 3 - in honor of what is now Lorenzo Washington Day in Nashville TN. We end up with a song made for him at the Museum by Nashville’s Queen of the Blues, Marion James.

Chapter markers & transcript.

Recorded 11 March 2025.

Title slide: Lorenzo outside the Museum after our chat (pic: Olivia Cheng).

See more photos on the episode website, and for more behind the scenes, become a supporting listener below. 

Music:

Watch Out, by Chaun Davis (from Artlist).

Regeneration, by

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Pre-roll music: Heartland Rebel, by Steven Beddall (sourced from Artlist).

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