Jim & Jesse | |
|---|---|
 Jim & Jesse in 1965 | |
| Background information | |
| Origin | Carfax,Virginia, U.S. |
| Genres | Bluegrass,country |
| Years active | 1945–2002 |
| Labels | Epic,Harmony,Capitol,CMH, Soundwaves, MSR,Rural Rhythm,Pinecastle |
| Past members | Jim McReynolds Jesse McReynolds |
| Website | Official website |
Jim & Jesse were an Americanbluegrass music duo of brothers,Jim McReynolds (February 13, 1927[1] – December 31, 2002)[2] andJesse McReynolds (July 9, 1929 – June 23, 2023).[1][3] They were born and raised in Carfax, a community nearCoeburn,Virginia, United States.[1]
Jesse played themandolin with a unique, self-invented "crosspicking" and "split-string" playing method, and Jim sang as ahigh tenor and playedguitar.[1] They played with their backing band, The Virginia Boys,[1] consisting of a five-stringbanjo,fiddle, andbass player. The Virginia Boys have included musicians such as fiddlerVassar Clements, banjo playerAllen Shelton, Mike Scott, Vic Jordan, Bobby Thompson,Carl Jackson, fiddler Jimmy Buchanan, Glen Duncan, Jesse's oldest son, the late Keith McReynolds,Randall Franks, and many more.
After the death of his brother Jim, Jesse continued to perform with their Virginia Boys band. He still performed in the bluegrass music tradition, but added other genres of music to his repertoire, includingChuck Berry andGrateful Dead songs. Jesse participated in a 2010 tribute toJerry Garcia andRobert Hunter titledJesse McReynolds & Friends Tribute to Jerry Garcia and Robert Hunter: Songs of the Grateful Dead, released on Woodstock Records. It features Garcia's friendsDavid Nelson andSandy Rothman, along with Stu Allen, of the presentJerry Garcia Acoustic Band.
Jesse's band line-up included Keith's son, Garrett McReynolds, as tenor singer/rhythm guitarist. On special occasions, Jesse took out the historic fiddle his grandfather played on the Bristol Sessions, and let his grandson Luke McKnight do the cross-picking that Jesse created. Rounding out the group was Travis Wetzel on fiddle, Gary Reece on banjo, and Larry Carney on guitar.
In 1952, Jim & Jesse were signed to their first major label,Capitol Records.[4] They have also recorded forColumbia Records,Epic Records,[4] andOpryland USA. They also released under their own Old Dominion record label. In 1960, their first single for Columbia was "The Flame of Love" backed by "Gosh I Miss You All the Time". Their other classic songs include "Cotton Mill Man", "Diesel on My Tail", "Are You Missing Me", and "Paradise".
In the late 1950s and early 1960s, Jim and Jesse starred on the live radio show, theSuwannee River Jamboree, broadcast on Saturday nights fromLive Oak, Florida, onWNER radio.[5] The show was also syndicated throughout the Southeastern United States. The brothers replacedthe Stanley Brothers on the show. They left when Martha White began using the duo as a sponsor.
On March 2, 1964, they were invited to join theGrand Ole Opry after making several appearances as guest performers, and they moved toGallatin, Tennessee, later that year.[6]
Jim and Jesse joined producersRandall Franks andAlan Autry for theIn the Heat of the Night cast albumChristmas Time's A-Comin', performing the title song with the cast. The album became one of the most popular Christmas releases of 1991 and 1992 with Southern retailers.[citation needed] Jesse also added his mandolin talents to a vocal performance of "Bring a Torch Jeanette Isabella" by actorCarroll O'Connor.
Jesse continued to perform at numerous folk festivals representing the traditional arts and some of his new styles.
The McReynolds' grandfather, Charles McReynolds, had led the band The Bull Mountain Moonshiners, who recorded at theBristol Sessions in 1927.[7]
In 2002, both brothers were diagnosed with different types ofcancer. Jesse's battle was successful, but Jim died in 2002 at the age of 75,[2] ending the longest active professional brother duet in country music history, at 55 years.
Jesse carried on the Jim & Jesse tradition and continued to play the Grand Ole Opry and special dates with his band, as well as being a guest with other groups. He died of natural causes inNashville, Tennessee, on June 23, 2023 at the age of 93.[3]
The duo's honors include induction into theCountry Music Hall of Fame's "Walkway of Stars", the Virginia Country Music Hall of Fame, theInternational Bluegrass Music Association's Hall of Honor, andBill Monroe's Bluegrass Hall of Fame. Individually and collectively they were nominated for severalGrammy Awards. They also received aNational Heritage Fellowship from theNational Endowment for the Arts,[8] presented byHillary Clinton andJane Alexander atThe White House on September 23, 1997.
In 2004, Jesse was honored with a nomination by the International Bluegrass Music Association for his projectBending the Rules as Instrumental Recording of the Year.
| Year | Album | US Country | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1963 | Bluegrass Special | — | Epic |
| Bluegrass Classics | — | ||
| 1964 | The Old Country Church | — | |
| 1965 | Y'all Come | — | |
| Berry Pickin' in the Country | — | ||
| 1966 | Sing Unto Him a New Song | — | |
| Sacred Songs We Love | — | Vernon Records | |
| 1967 | Diesel on My Tail | 13 | Epic |
| 1968 | All-Time Great Country Instrumentals | — | |
| 1969 | Saluting the Louvin Brothers | — | |
| 1970 | We Like Trains | — | |
| Wildwood Flower | — | Harmony | |
| 1972 | Mandolin Workshop | — | Hilltop Records |
| 1974 | Superior Sounds of Bluegrass | — | Old Dominion Records |
| 1980 | Jim & Jesse Today! | — | CMH Records |
| 1982 | Jim & Jesse & Charlie(withCharlie Louvin) | — | Soundwaves |
| 1990 | The Jim & Jesse Story | — | CMH Records |
| 1991 | Music Among Friends | — | Rounder |
| 1997 | Tribute to Bill Monroe | — | AMI |
| 1998 | Songs From the Homeplace | — | Pinecastle |
| 2001 | Our Kind of Country | — | |
| 2002 | American Pride | — | |
| 2003 | 'Tis Sweet to be Remembered | — |
| Year | Single | US Country | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1964 | "Cotton Mill Man" | 43 | single only |
| "Better Times A-Coming" | 39 | Y'all Come | |
| 1967 | "Diesel on My Tail" | 18 | Diesel on My Tail |
| "The Ballad of Thunder Road" | 44 | ||
| 1968 | "Greenwich Village Folk Song Salesman" | 49 | single only |
| "Yonder Comes a Freight Train" | 56 | We Like Trains | |
| 1970 | "The Golden Rocket" | 38 | |
| 1971 | "Freight Train" | 44 | |
| 1982 | "North Wind"(withCharlie Louvin) | 56 | Jim & Jesse & Charlie |
| 1986 | "Oh Louisiana" | 78 | single only |
| International | |
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| National | |
| Artists | |
