User:Rawley62/Jim Mesi

Jim Mesi (born September 14, 1949) is an award winning American Blues guitarist, and leader of The Jim Mesi Band, a Portland, Oregon based band that specializes in Blues, Oldies R&B (Rhythm and Blues), and Surf music.

Jim has been a cornerstone of the Northwestern United States Blues and music scene for many years. He was a founding member of Brown Sugar, one of Northwest's earliest Blues bands which later became The Paul DeLay Band, and he has played with numerous musicians in other groups and band formations througout the years. Some of the nationally and internationally recognized musicians that Jim has played and toured with during his music career include Les Paul (guest player at the Iridium Jazz Club, July 2007), B.B. King, Roy Orbison, Chuck Berry, Bo Diddley, Big Walter Horton, Pee Wee Crayton, Albert Collins, Johnny Otis, and Big Mama Thornton.

Life and career
Jim was born and raised in N.E. Portland, Oregon to 2nd generation Italian parents who had migrated West from the East Coast. His father had played drums professionally in a Big Band and music was a big part of the Mesi household. Jim's interest in guitar came at an early age. He recalls asking his parents for one at 5 years of age, after seeing musicians Buddy Merrill and Neil LeVang perform guitar pieces on The Lawrence Welk Show. When it became obvious that Jim was serious about music his parents purchased him a "real" guitar and enrolled him in private lessons.

As a teenager in the early 60's, Jim was fascinated by the American Rock 'n' Roll music of the 50's and the new music of The Ventures, The Beach Boys and British Invasion groups such as The Beatles. By 17 he was introduced to the Blues and this would have a profound effect on his music career(ref).

Jim's first paid gig was at age 15 (ref, Losers Club) and by 17 he was playing electric guitar in a band called 'Rubberband' and performing regularly at Caffe Espresso in Downtown Portland. Another popular Portland musician and guitarist by the name of Steve Bradley also played at the Caffe Espresso and it was there that the two met and formed a life-long friendship that later became a professional relationship when Bradley joined The Jim Mesi Band in 1990(ref).

In 1967 he joined Moxie, a band that included fellow musicians/friends Paul Jones, Al Kuzens and Dennis Cunningham. After Moxie broke up, Jim was recruited to go to Los Angeles by agent Buck Munger to be part of a development "super band" named Wrinkle.

The band, whose name was given to them by The Who band member Roger Entwistle, released a single on Imperial Records in 1969 and was signed to record for United Artists Records.

Wrinkle project lasted one year. The band recorded one album that was never released and when they disbanded he moved back to Portland and was recruited by former Moxie members, with some new additions including Lloyd Jones and Paul deLay, to form a new band that was named Brown Sugar(ref).

The Blues music scene in the Pacific Northwest was taking off in 1970's and Brown Sugar, a pioneer of the NW Blues genre, rode the wave of this growing popularity. They went on to become one the top bands in Portland, and in the NW region, playing for packed houses, festivals, parties and cruise-ins in Oregon and Washington. In 1970 they performed at the famous Vortex I rock festival in Estacada, Oregon. In 1987 Jim Mesi and Paul deLay decided to form The Paul deLay band and they went on to play together successfully for 10 years, recording various albums and singles during that time. The deLay band toured and opened for some of the biggest acts in Blues, including B.B. King, Hubert Sumlin and others(ref).

Awards and Honors
Cascade Blues Association, Muddy Awards
 * 1991 Best Electric Guitar
 * 1992 The Jim Mesi Band won Best Roots Rock Act
 * 1993 Best Electric Guitar
 * 1994 Best Electric Guitar
 * 1995 Best Electric Guitar
 * 1995 Inducted into the Hall of Fame for Best Electric Guitar
 * 2000 Lifetime Achievement Award
 * 2001 Waterfront Blues Festival Performance of the Year
 * 2001 Best Northwest Recording for "Blues, Cars, & Electric Guitars"

Other Honors
 * 2007 Inducted into The Oregon Music Hall of Fame
 * 2007 Selected as Blues Hall of Fame, Oregon Ambassador