JESSE BROCK
Stephen Pitalo
Don’t Call This Mandolinist J-Bro!
Winner of the 2009 & 2015 International Bluegrass Music Awards (IBMA) Mandolin Performer of the Year, Brock said his true bluegrass awakening was The Bluegrass Album Band, Vol. One, which cemented the idea of what bluegrass is to him: a banjo and a fiddle.
listening to albums by the Dillards, The Bray Brothers, Mac Wiseman, Jim & Brock, The Osborne Bros., Bill Monroe, J.D. Crowe & Larry Sparks, and soon began his bluegrass career with his family band at the age of 9. He started singing at age 7, taking fiddle lessons at 8 & picked up the mandolin at 9. His first album was recorded with “I started reverse-listening to all his family at age 11 and later that projects, and each member was a year played the Grand Ole Opry part,” Brock said. “Doyle Lawson & as the first place prize winnings at Tony Rice were the new standards Bill Monroe’s Bean Blossom Band of the times & still are in my book. Contest. As Bill’s guest on the Early Personally, I feel bluegrass is not Bird Special, C.W. Brock & the Next bluegrass without a banjo and/or of Kin played two songs. fiddle!” Brock is currently performing with a His early exposure, however, was cast of bluegrass veterans known as family-oriented. His father, C.W. Fast Track on EMG Records. Brock Brock, plucked a five-string banjo as has been working diligently in the a founding member of the Golden studio at Sound Biscuit Productions Harvest Boys, later becoming The on his much-anticipated project, Knights of Bluegrass’ with Chet Streamliner. Featuring artists Kingery circa 1977. Brock continued Bronwyn Keith-Hynes, Jason 18
Carter, Josh Swift, Rob Ickes, Russ Carson, Ron Block, Greg Blake, Barry Reed, and Dale Perry. Brock has worked with: The Lynn Morris Band (2 albums), Dale Ann Bradley (2 albums), Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper (4 albums), Audie Blaylock & Redline (2 albums), and most recently with The Gibson Bros. Brock first appeared on the Grand Ole Opry at the young age of 11, and since has performed on stage with Ricky Skaggs, George Jones, Willie Nelson, Alison Krauss, The Tony Rice Unit, and the list goes on. Brock was also on Michael’s 2 Rounder solo projects in the earlymid 2000s: ‘Flamekeeper’ & ‘Let ‘Er Go, Boys’. Brock’s solo effort, the IBMA award-nominated CD ‘Kickin’ Grass’ on Pinecastle Records includes an A-list of pickers and was co-produced with his former bandmate, Ron Stewart. In 2007,
