Jesse Irwin

The first thing you notice about Jesse Irwin when you meet him, is his contagious smile. The day I met him for the first time he shook my hand and said, "Glad to meet you!" and really seemed to mean it--like few people ever do. He has a kind of infectious charm that leaves an impression on you.A few months after this first meeting, I saw his band, The Doc Ellis Band, play somewhere and discovered that Jesse is more than a carpenter, and that his charm works as well for him on stage as it does off. The Doc Ellis Band plays classic Country & Western covers, the kind I heard and loved when I was a kid growing up in the 70's and 80's. The kind of Country music that's so far removed from the stuff they play on "Country" radio these days that it could be another genre all together. It must have been a good year later that I had a chance to see Jesse perform solo, playing his own music, and thats when I realized that he was more than just a charming guy who probably grew up listening to the same music I did. He could write great simple, well crafted songs too. Songs that were simple, funny and told the truth at the same time. I was an instant fan.So when I started this project Jesse Irwin was definitely on my mind. It wasn't hard to get him to do this. He seemed particularly honored that I would ask him. But seriously, Jesse, the honor is all mine.