One of the staples of Music for Seniors’ work is the Music for Seniors FREE Daytime Concert Series, which runs annually every month from March to December.

Presented by UnitedHealthcare, with additional support from the Music Performance Trust Fund, the National Endowment for the Arts, the Tennessee Arts Commission and the Metro Nashville Arts Commission, Music for Seniors taps their phenomenal Musician Partners as well as talented local artists to perform at venues all across Middle Tennessee for the senior communities that they aim to serve.

From classic country and Latin, to Americana and Motown, the Daytime Concert Series showcases a wide variety of musical styles and genres, while also providing a safe and fun environment for older adults far and wide.

For July’s public concert, Music for Seniors will welcome The Matt Davich Big Band for the second consecutive year at the picturesque gardens of Cheekwood on July 12th.

A native of Indiana, Davich landed in Nashville over thirty years ago as a skilled woodwinds musician and performer. After majoring in music in his home state and deciding to pursue a masters degree, he came to Music City by way of the iconic Opryland USA theme park.

Taking a summer job at the music-themed attraction, Davich played in the park’s big band and soon after began putting down roots in Middle Tennessee.

Working his way along as a freelance musician, Davich divided his time between playing with the Nashville Symphony, the Tennessee Performing Arts Center and other local theater troupes, as well as being a touring and recording musician and teaching music to students at the middle school, high school and college levels.

After getting involved with the Nashville Jazz Machine, one of the city’s most prominent jazz ensembles, and playing other miscellaneous gigs around town, all of Davich’s stars aligned when he met the legendary Duffy Jackson.

The son of double-bassist and band leader Chubby Jackson, Duffy was a prodigious drummer, singer and bandleader who played with jazz legends of the past, including Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Woody Herman, Buddy Rich, Ray Brown, Herb Ellis, Lena Horne, Sammy Davis, Jr., Lionel Hampton, the Manhattan Transfer and many more. Living in the gray area between the ages of dance bands and jazz bands, Jackson was like a chain link to the era that came before him.

After making an even bigger name for himself in Florida, Jackson moved to Nashville in the late 2000s, which is how his and Davich’s paths crossed in 2010. Upon hearing that Jackson was interested in forming his own band in Music City, Davich enlisted a handful of the city’s top musicians to back him.

The group played sporadically around Middle Tennessee for a little over a decade until Jackson’s untimely death in March of 2021. However, as a cornerstone of Nashville’s jazz community, Jackson’s legacy lives on through Davich and the band as they continue to play in honor of the late jazz icon.

“Duffy was more than a musician. He was a character,” Davich explains. “We can’t duplicate that now that he’s gone. [We’re essentially] a Duffy Jackson Tribute Band,” he adds with a smile.

Now, for the second year, Davich and his crew will bring their big band sound to the Cheekwood Gardens as they play standards from Jackson’s extensive songbook and a variety of ’40s classics.

“Last year’s show was great! I just wish someone would’ve danced!” Davich shares with a chuckle. “I hope people dance this year because it really makes the music come alive in a different way.”

He continues, “I’m glad that we can play for Music for Seniors. It offers participants something that they like, and it’s interesting and enjoyable. It also gives us an opportunity to meet people who we might otherwise not meet. It’s good for both of us and it’s always fun to play for an appreciative audience, too.”

For tickets to the Music for Seniors FREE Daytime Concert Series, click here.