Rest In Peace, Jim Fee
Jim Fee died the evening of Thursday, September 18th, 2008. He was simply one of the best banjo players in the world.
I recall the first time I ever saw Jim: One afternoon in 1979, we arrived to play at a one-day bluegrass festival put on by the Women’s Club in Cocoa, Florida. I walked into the big pavilion and couldn’t believe what I was hearing. There was Chubby Anthony on stage playing the fiddle with three musicians I didn’t know—and they were PLAYING BLUEGRASS. Now, starting in the 1960s, I had seen Bill Monroe, Earl Scruggs, Ralph Stanley, J.D. Crowe, Jimmy Martin, and other bluegrass greats, but suddenly here was a band that (along with being able to play as well as anybody) had an incredible excitement in their music that I’d never heard before. At that moment they were playing and singing Chubby’s song “Dear One,” and I was speechless. The vocals were soaring and the instruments were fiery. This was simply the best band I had ever (and have ever) seen on stage.
I found out that the banjo player was named Jim Fee. Jim’s banjo playing and solid baritone singing were a critical part of the band. His amazingly strong style and originality were like nothing I’d ever heard on the banjo, and he could play the slower material beautifully and then launch into a banjo tune like no one I’d ever heard.
Later, when I got to know Jimmy, I found out that his personality matched his music. He was straight-shooting, perceptive, and intelligent. After Chubby died, Jim kept the band together and always played great music. He asked me to fill in on mandolin with him a few times, and those are some of my best musical memories. It was a special pleasure to have the group come into my studio and record an album, in 1985—for years, I’d wanted a chance to mix them the way I thought they ought to be heard.
Rest in peace, Jim. We’ll remember you for a long time.