Nashville Cats – The Wrecking Crew of the South

The Nashville A-Team is an umbrella sobriquet for the loose collective of ace session musicians who gravitated to the country music capital of the world in the 50s, 60s and 70s. And though many of the musicians who formed this collective were indeed country players, they would extend their services far and wide into the worlds of jazz, blues, and rock.

Members of the A-Team would form lasting session relationships with performers as diverse as Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Bob Dylan, and Neil Young.

Some would go on to their own solo fame including stone-cold legends like Chet Atkins, Floyd Cramer, Earl Scruggs, and Vassar Clements. Volumes have already been written on their contributions to country, bluegrass, and popular music.

Instead, the focus of today’s story is the small but sweet collection of albums released by the collective itself. The several dozen musicians who crossed paths in the Nashville scene were indeed prolific in both solo and supporting roles.

However, some of the most enjoyable distillations of their talents can be found on albums by two somewhat unheralded progressive country combos – Area Code 615 and Barefoot Jerry. With that in mind, we’ll take the opportunity to herald them here.

Area Code 615

Named for Nashville’s telephone area code, 615 would release only two full-length LPs of virtuosic if not quite groundbreaking music. But the story of their origin is ultimately about the coming together of countless musical threads.

Charlie McCoy was a topflight harmonica player and multi-instrumentalist whose iconic harpwork can be heard on “Roy Orbison’s “Oh, Pretty Woman”, Simon and Garfunkel’s “The Boxer”, and most notably, on Bob Dylan’s late-60s Nashville Trilogy – (Blonde on Blonde, John Wesley Harding, Nashville Skyline).

And really, the story begins with Charlie, who first met Bob Dylan when producer and mutual friend Bob Johnston flew him to New York for the Highway 61 sessions in 1965. Dylan was so impressed with Charlie’s impromptu guitar work on “Desolation Row” that he decided to record his next record in Nashville, largely against his record label’s advice.

Dylan even enlisted McCoy to assemble the band for his new album.

This was a pretty big deal for the 25 year old session musician from West Virginia. He brought together local reliables including Kenny Buttrey, Wayne Moss, Mac Gayden, Hargus Robbins, Jerry Kennedy, Henry Strzelecki, Joe South, and Wayne Butler. Joined by Al Kooper and future Band guitarist Robbie Robertson, they recorded the epic and critically fawned-upon Blonde on Blonde.

Dylan retained the services of Charlie McCoy and drummer Kenny Buttrey for the following two records–John Wesley Harding (1967), and Nashville Skyline (1969).

Meanwhile…

• Nashville native, guitarist and singer Mac Gayden, who began his career as a member of Charlie McCoy and the Escorts, co-wrote the oft-covered 1967 Robert Knight hit “Everlasting Love.”

• Wayne Moss, another West Virginia native, befriended McCoy and Buttrey in 1959 and began taking on session work shortly thereafter. His most iconic guitar parts can be heard on Roy Orbison’s “Oh, Pretty Woman” and Dolly Parton’s “Jolene.”

• Drummer Kenny Buttrey began his career as a professional musician at the age of 11 and was touring in Chet Atkins’ band by the time he was 14. In an incredibly prolific career, his best known drum parts include Dylan’s “Lay Lady Lay”, Jimmy Buffet’s “Margaritaville” and Neil Young’s “Heart of Gold.” In fact, beginning with his collaboration on Neil Young’s Harvest, Buttrey would enjoy a fruitful and ongoing association with Young. At one point in the early ‘70s, he was even part of a live backing group that Young dubbed the Stray Gators.

That’s really just the tip of the iceberg for this crew of musicians. But in 1969, they would record an album that distills everything that made these guys so vital in their time and place. Their self-titled debut includes only a few originals alongside a batch of Beatles covers, a well-earned nod to Dylan, and a version of Mason Williams’ “Classical Gas” that is perhaps better known to U.K. listeners through its use in a series of Guinness Commercials.

With a second album – Trip Through the Country – Area Code 615 only reinforced its across-the-pond profile. The instrumental “Stone Fox Chase” actually served as the theme song for The Old Grey Whistle Test on the BBC from 1971 all the way through 1983.

In the same year that they recorded their second and final record, most of Area Code 615 also backed Linda Ronstadt on her sophomore 1970 release – Silk Purse.

In addition to sharing musicians, both Area Code 615 albums, Silk Purse, and Neil Young’s Harvest are all produced by Elliot Mazer. Mazer would go on to produce numerous Neil Young albums. Other notable Mazer credits include Cheap Thrills by Big Brother and the Holding Company and The Last Waltz by the Band.

• Mac Gayden – Lead guitar, vocals (died 2025)

• Charlie McCoy – Harmonica, vocals

• Bobby Thompson – Banjo, guitar (died 2005)

• Wayne Moss – Guitar, bass

• Buddy Spicher – Fiddle, viola, cello

• David Briggs – Keyboards

• Ken Lauber – Keyboards

• Norbert Putnam – Bass, cello

• Kenny Buttrey – Drums (died 2004)

• Weldon Myrick – Pedal steel guitar (died 2014)

• Elliot Mazer – Co-producer

Barefoot Jerry

Ever tireless and prolific, many of Area Code 615’s alumni moved immediately from Silk Purse to the debut record for Barefoot Jerry. Together, they recorded 6 proper albums between 1971 and 1977.

During their run, Barefoot Jerry would perform live extensively. But their lone chart entry – “You Can’t Get Off With Your Shoes On” – topped out at #109 in 1975.

They would also make two minor country chart appearances backing their friend Charlie McCoy on “Boogie Woogie” (#22 in 1974) and “Summit Ridge Drive” (#98 in 1977).

In true Nashville A-Team spirit, the lineup of Barefoot Jerry would shift constantly as members pursued opportunities elsewhere. Wayne Moss was the only original member to remain with the group throughout its duration, and even carried the nickname Barefoot Jerry into his solo career after the ensemble disbanded in 1977.

• Wayne Moss, guitar, keyboards, vocals, bass

• Mac Gayden, lead guitar, vocals, slide guitar

• Kenneth A. Buttrey, drums

• John Harris, keyboards

• Terry Dearmore

• Jim Colvard

• Dave Doran

• Si Edwards

• Warren Hartman

• Russ Hicks

• Kenny Malone

• Charlie McCoy

• Fred Newell

While the end of Barefoot Jerry also marks the end of an era for the Nashville A-Team, the members of this southern wrecking crew recorded or contributed to too many hits to name – especially because it was not uncommon for their session contributions to go uncredited. That said, here’s a small sampler: