Many musicians might shrug at getting a standing gig at a hotel compared to one at a nightclub or dance hall, but Waco native and Nashville blues-jazz guitarist Joe Silva would tell you it depends on the hotel.

Silva, back in his hometown this week for a series of shows, plays three to four nights weekly at the Loews’ Vanderbilt Hotel in Nashville, a downtown venue that draws its share of music and show business celebrities and executives.

While many hotel club audiences are anonymous and transient, Silva has counted among his listeners songwriter Paul Williams, country singers Patty Loveless and Johnny Lee, Beyonce’s father Matthew Knowles, Motown songwriter and producer Lamont Dozier and Manhattan School of Music President Robert Sirota.

Joe Silva

In addition to his weekly Loews gig, Silva also performs in the Nashville area with his Joe Silva Band and his New Blue band. The guitarist participates in Nashville’s Arts in the Airport program and leads music for St. Edwards Catholic Church.

The Waco native, who graduated from McLennan Community College’s commercial music program in the 1980s, left Waco in 1990 for Fort Worth’s jazz and R&B scene, then on to Nashville. He’ll speak to MCC commercial music students at 6 tonight about his experience as a professional musician. His message: There’s no shortcut to hard work.

“I kept being diligent and I kept my nose to the grindstone,” he said.

He’ll also point to the example of another MCC commercial music product and former Joe Silva Band member, rhythm-and-blues singer Ruthie Foster, whose last CD won a Grammy Awards nomination. Silva and his former vocalist still stay in touch and last summer, he toured with her on her Texas dates, including a Brazos Nights concert in Waco.

Friends and family will have several chances to see Silva this month. He and his New Blue band will play Friday at Hog Creek Icehouse and Saturday at Pop-A-Top Cafe. He’ll do a solo show Feb. 18 at Regent Center in Woodway, then perform with MCC music instructors Dick Gimble and Jon Kutz at Gimble’s Running Bird Studio on Feb. 19.

“I’ve been fortunate to make a living at this,” he said.

choover@wacotrib.com

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