Nashville and Natchez. The two cities on the surface may not seem all that common, but scratch the surface a bit and the similarities are quite evident.

Natchez Mayor Darryl Grennell recently traveled to Nashville to meet with his Tennessee counterpart, Nashville Mayor Megan Barry. Their discussion was about the possibility of the two municipalities becoming “sister cities,” which is basically a nice way of saying they would work to market one another.

In addition to being the starting point and ending point of the Natchez Trace, the cities share another key trait — music.

While the notion may come as a surprise to many, not every tourist that finds his or her way to Natchez is coming to observe the antebellum extravagance of our city’s most prominent forefathers.

Many are looking for a little seedier, perhaps a little more rhythmic experience. They’re looking to experience some of the roots of American music.

Through the years, the great majority of early blues and rock ’n‘ roll legends made their way through our area, playing at clubs in Natchez or Ferriday as their careers were just getting started.

That history draws great numbers of visitors — many from across the globe — to our area. It’s a tourism market that is still underutilized.

Partnering with Nashville, if it can be worked out to be beneficial to both entities, seems like a good idea to us, and we are glad Mayor Grennell is pursuing the idea.