Abingdon Native Will Jam In Hometown Concert

BY STEPHEN WOODWARD
SPECIAL TO THE HERALD COURIER

BRISTOL, Va. – The Birthplace of Country Music has seen many talented musicians migrate to Nashville over the years. And while some find success, but many move back home into their parents’ basements.

Bristol, Va., native Dane Bryant has been among the successful. He’s traveled the globe playing keyboards for Clint Black and Olivia Newton-John and rubbed elbows with the likes of Elton John and Dave Matthews.

On Friday, Bryant will apply the brakes to his globe-hopping and plans to give back to his hometown with an “all-star” concert.

Dubbed “Matt Smith’s All-Star Jazz Jam,” Bryant will be performing at the Abingdon Market Pavilion, along with other elite musicians from around Nashville. 

The band includes guitarist Mike Gallaher, who has played with Joe Cocker and guitarist Adrian Belew; bassist Randy Smith, who’s played with Leann Womack; saxophonist Jeffery Scot-Wills, who was in Donna Summer’s band; and Louis Winfield on drums, a musician who has recorded and toured with various country artists.

“Over the past 20 years, I’ve gathered musicians from Nashville, and we’d go to Matt Smith’s [music] shop and do a concert for kids,” said Bryant. “This time, Abingdon asked us to do a full-blown concert. I’ll call up my friends, put some tunes together, and play all styles of music. All for fun.”

The all-star jam band is going to play a “gamut of different songs,” said Bryant, from extended jazz jams to songs from Bryant’s former band, Secrets.

But long before he rocked on his baby grand piano with country music superstars, Bryant started with a much simpler instrument.

“I had a toy organ in the beginning,” joked Bryant about his childhood.

His parents upgraded later when he proved to be taking his music seriously during his senior year at Virginia High School.

While Bryant always dreamed big, he had many inspirations right here in Bristol.

“I had three people who nudged me forward,” he said. “The first is Charlie Lawson, who owned Lawson’s Music. I just would go and watch him play. And my church organist Don Norman was also a big influence as a child.”

His third mentor went to great lengths to help Bryant get started.

“My high school chorus teacher, Betty Layman, would let me into the choral department” at a local college, he said. “She secretly recorded me playing and sent it to [James Madison University].”

Because of that kind act, Bryant said he “thinks of her every day.”

While Bryant couldn’t read music then, his musical chops were enough to impress those at JMU. 

“They called me for an audition. But I had to fake it because I couldn’t read music. So I went to a teacher in Bristol and memorized classical music, and during the audition, I pretended to read it. I faked my way to get in,” he said of his entry into the school’s music program.

Once at JMU, he realized other students had taken music lessons their entire lives.

“That’s when the work started,” said Bryant.

After college, Bryant left for Richmond and formed a jam band called “Secrets.” The members included now famed singer-songwriter Tim Reynolds and the Dave Matthew’s Band drummer, Carter Beauford, and saxophonist, LeRoi Moore, who recently died.

Twelve years later, at 32, Bryant moved his family to Nashville – taking a chance on striking it big. But luck played in his favor.

After playing in some clubs, the young piano player received calls from some of the biggest names in country music. Tanya Tucker, Ricky Scaggs and Clint Black all requested he audition for them.

“I thought it was my friend playing a gag when Clint called. He does a real good imitation of him,” said Bryant. “But it was really Clint Black. It all fell into place.”

In what seemed like a flash, Bryant’s musical prowess sky-rocketed him from jazz clubs in Richmond to the world stage, playing with stars from Van Cliburn to Billy Joel. However, the most difficult part of the success was the traveling.

“You’re never comfortable to travel. But touring buses make it more comfortable,” he said.

Now at 48 with four kids, Bryant wants to give back to the community of people who made it happen for him.

“I would like to pay things back,” he said. “This concert is a way to come back home and show the kids that with a little bit of hard work and sweat, it can be done. I had so many people in Bristol who influenced me in a positive way. This is another way to pay it forward.”