After a long break, let’s finish up with the Jim & Jesse records.
First up, Berry Pickin’ in the Country—Jim and Jesse’s tribute to the great Chuck Berry. These days it seems like there’s bluegrass tributes to everything, from the Beatles to AC/DC. Most of them suck (or at least the ones I’ve heard). The novelty factor quickly wears off, and you’re left with soulless bluegrass, which is as they say in Mad Magazine, “Yechhh!!!”
But this Jim and Jesse tribute to The Brown Eyed Handsome Man is mostly played with a lot of inspiration and verve. For me, the best part this recording is hearing Berry’s guitar licks played with great facility by banjoist Allen Shelton. Jesse McReynolds also tears off some great mandolin solos, notably in “Johnny B. Goode, ” “Reelin’ and Rockin,’” and “Bye Bye Johnny.” I suppose this record was made with some crossover attention in mind, but I truly think that the cats in Jim & Jesse and the Virginia Boys were fans of the “Great Chuck Berry Songbook” (as the back of the album calls it). All in all, a wonderful example of successful country music miscegenation (“My soul lives in the southern region of our America” say the probably ghostwritten liner notes attributed to Chuck himself on the back cover) and something that should be in your collection.
We finish our extry long visit with Jim & Jesse’s catalog with Palace of Songs on the Old Dominion label. Released in the early seventies after J & J’s commercial success was over, we find the boys working on a small indie level. But still playing their asses off. Dig Jesse’s ass-kicking mandolin solo on “Air Mail Special” played twice as fast as the original version. He also brings his unique cross-picking style to the geetar on “Then I’ll Stop Going for You.” A nice, mature effort from the boys, mingling bluegrass and country without feeling forced at all. And no one interpreted the Louvin Brothers better, as evidenced on their crack at “Cash on the Barrel Head.” I bought this record in Nashville at Ernest Tubb’s Record Shop (I think). Good luck finding it.
