Jesse James Dupree From Jackyl & Dixie Inc.

M.I.B. Show podcast

Thanks JESSE For the great interview.. While Rev it Up and Go Go is the second solo record from Jackyl singer Jesse James Dupree, he didn’t go it alone on the 20 tracks of crunchy rock, cool country and old-timey radio show revelry. “This record is so much Dixie Inc. I couldn’t have made this record without these guys; their songs, playing, suggestions and collaboration,” Dupree says. Enter Dixie Inc., a collection of players who were friends and fans of each other, brought together for a Thanksgiving feast and jam that turned into Rev It Up and Go Go. Dixie Inc. is bassist Roman Glick (Brother Cane, Jackyl); drummer Mike Froedge (DoubleDrive, Speed X); guitarist Charlie Star of Blackberry Smoke fame; and features Richard (guitar) and Fred (drums) Young of the Grammy-winning Kentucky Headhunters. Proof of Dixie Inc.’s and chops and chemistry? Just check the videos for the wild musical ride “Money Lovin’ and Speed” and the greasy grooves of “Bite.” It’s clear that Dixie Inc. is a fortuitous collaboration.—as Rev It Up and Go Go’s entry into the Top 40 rock chart proves. Glick is the only member of Jackyl who joins James in Dixie Inc., and he recalls the 2007 sessions that resulted in Rev It Up… “Jesse would call and say ‘come over, let’s work on some riffs.’ It was just fun for the sake of it. But last Thanksgiving it just went crazy, and Jesse started calling other friends, Richard and Fred, and Mike and Charlie. We had no clue what we were going to do; we’d work through the ideas. I brought in the tune ‘1095 Days.’ By the third time we played each song, we were done recording. That’s how incredible the players are on this record. Charlie, and I’ll go on record with this is probably the best guitar player I’ve ever played with in my life.” Mike Froedge concurs: “Roman and I locked it up instantly, and the writing and recording was totally guerilla style. We were able to work fast, think fast; it was like recording a rehearsal or show.” Charlie Star of Atlanta Southern rockers Blackberry Smoke says his fretwork in Dixie Inc. is “louder and wilder,” than his usual style, “because Jesse brings that out in everybody! And we each brought in a different set of influences. The song ‘Tank,’ begins with a dobro and a slide, and Jesse and I were hanging around the studio very late night, and I think a lot of Pabst Blue Ribbon had been imbibed. I was fiddling around, and he came in and set up a mic in the middle of the room; he sang live while I was playing. One take--that was it. It was electrifying.” Thanks to the kindred musical spirits in Dixie Inc., Rev It Up and Go Go possesses continuity in both the 'Saturday Night' side of the album (rock) and 'Sunday Morning' (country). “Mike and Roman were so in the pocket, and when they come together, it’s such an impactful presence on tracks like ‘Tank’ and ‘Drop Dead Ready’ and ‘Bite,’ raves Dupree. “The two of those guys alone make me want to run through a brick wall.” While the future isn’t written in stone, all involved with Dixie Inc—fans included--look forward to more family-style collaborations and, hopefully, live shows and a tour. As Dupree concludes, “When a record is done, you’re super excited because it’s fresh and new, and it’s your baby. Everyone thinks their baby is the most beautiful thing, but when that baby is a little older, you can step back and realize the truth… But every now and then you have a baby that just may be the prettiest baby in the world. And that’s Dixie Inc and Rev It Up And Go Go.”