Jesse Lee Jones began playing Lower Broadway in Nashville, Tennessee in the early spring of 1995 at a honky tonk known as Robert’s Western World. At the time, BR-549 was gaining national momentum and the members of the popular house-band nicknamed Jesse Lee the “Brazilian Hillbilly”. He instantaneously became known as Brazilbilly.

In the years since Brazilbilly was born, the band has gained much popularity and recognition playing as the new house band at Robert’s Western World. In addition to playing a regular Friday/Saturday night set, the band has played many other venues and events, including a performance for Vice President Al Gore as the results of the 2001 Presidential Election were announced. The band has toured Europe, hosted the live radio broadcast of “The Midnight Jamboree” from the Ernest Tubb’s Texas Troubador Theater, played the Grand Ole Opry Plaza, opened for major country music acts, and played many special events, parties, and benefits in Nashville.

Brazilbilly was founded on the ideal of traditional country music. Their sound, while traditional and country, is complemented by a Latin flair unique to the Nashville scene. They are fans and followers of the legendary artists that frequented the Lower Broadway honky tonk in the early years of country music. Each band member is diversely talented, professional, and musically educated. This range of cultural backgrounds and musical experience makes Brazilbilly like no other band, embracing a style that is uniquely their own. Brazilbilly’s eclectic style and musical diversity has created a band known and followed by many loyal fans. The bands mantra, “Traditional Country Music With A Latin Flair” can be heard late into the evening as the sounds of steel guitar and fiddle waft through the alley connecting Lower Broadway to the mother church of Country Music, The Ryman Auditorium.

About the band

• Gene “Pappy” Merritts – Fiddle/Mandolin – Bass/Guitar

Gene “Pappy” Merritts began his professional musical career in the Armed Forces Special Services in the U.S. Air Force. He played his fiddle in Korea and Japan during the Korean War and then came home to join the Landmark Jamboree in Cleveland, Ohio. Pappy, as he is affectionately known, accompanied the late Dottie West on the Jamboree and was a staff band member of that show backing Opry stars that were guests. He went on to become the staff fiddle player for the WWVA World Original Jamboree in Wheeling West Virginia, playing shows in Denver, Colorado. He had the privilege during this part of his career to accompany the late Patsy Cline and other great Grand Ole Opry Stars.

Pappy was featured on the Channel 5 WLAC Eddie Hills “Country Junction Show” in Nashville, Tennessee for nearly 2 years with the late great fiddle player Benny Martin playing twin fiddle.

Pappy went on to play on the road with Bill Monroe, Martha Carson, Wilma Lee and Stoney Cooper before the country music stars came to popularity on the Grand Ole Opry.

He played bass and electric guitar with many pop bands (with horns) in and around the Nashville area with the likes of The Fred Shoemake Band, Dick Dorney Orchestra, and Sony Day Orchestra. He had his own 7 and 8 piece Big Bands and Western Swing Bands.

Pappy was the featured fiddle player at the Opryland Theme Park in the “Country Music USA Show” for 24 years until it’s closing in 1997. Afterwards, pappy joined The Ernest Tubb Texas Troubadour Theater for 3 years performing for the acclaimed “A Closer Walk” a Patsy Cline show.

Pappy joined Brazilbilly in September of 1997. His vibrant personality on the stage adds as much to Brazilbilly as his amazing musical skills. Whether playing a traditional Irish fiddle tune, adding climbing violin passages to a rocking rendition of an Elvis hit, or joining a guest fiddle player for an incredible twin fiddle experience, his heart shines through in every note that he plays.

• David Tanner - Doghouse Bass

Originally from New Harmony Indiana, David Tanner is a multi-talented
musician. David plays upright bass, drums, guitar, banjo, and is an
accomplished vocalist and songwriter.  In addition to being a musician,
David is also an attorney and prior to coming to Nashville, he practiced law
in Posey County, Indiana as the Chief Deputy Prosecutor for a year and then
later as a criminal defense lawyer. He had his own Law office for over ten
years.  In 2004 David sold his office: books, pencils, plastic flowers and
all, in order to pursue a music career in Nashville Tennessee.  

Though David has had a career outside of the field of music, he is no newcomer to the professional music scene. Prior to earning his law degree, he had a diverse music career playing in various bands in such exotic places as Bermuda, England, China, and Effingham, Illinois.   David’s interest in music began at a very young age. Growing up in a musical family David was influenced by his family’s songwriting and holiday jam sessions. Hearing David perform makes it easy to see where his country roots began and who his greatest influences are. He is an admirer of Hank Williams Sr., Carl Smith, Faron Young, as well as many other traditional country artists.  He has incorporated the nuances of those performers’ styles into his own vocal
style.

David fronts his own band called Fifty Five Eleven in “E” which is a blend
of traditional country music & rockabilly. David has been in the Lower
Broadway Nashville music scene since June, 2004

• Chris Casello - Lap Steel, Electric Guitar

Chris Casello has been playing guitar and performing professionally his entire life .

Recently doubling on Triple Neck Eight string Steel - playing a total of thirty strings sometimes in a single song.

A veteran musician recently moved from Ann Arbor Michigan and the Detroit area to Nashville.

Chris has been touring the US and Canada for the past eight years with his own group the Starlight Drifters. Meanwhile releasing several CDs and landing songs in several Major Motion pictures. His passion for traditional swing and rockabilly styles has lead him to perform and tour, and record with many legends including the great Jack Scott, Billy Lee Riley, Bo Diddley, Martha Reeves , Robert Gordon, Barb Pittman, Rayburn Anthony, Johnny Powers, Alvis Wayne to name a few.

Since moving to  Nashville Chris has the pleasure of working with many legends and contemporary artist such as Red Simpson, BR5-49, Mark Collie, Rosie Flores and Brazilbilly !

A brand new solo release entitled Done Moved On is now available.

Chris keeps the Starlight Drifters torch burning every Sunday at Roberts Western World , with Mark Horn ( Derailers ) and Mark Winchester ( Brian Setzer Orchestra)

• Samuel Kallaos - Drums and Percussion

 

If you were to ask him, he would not honestly be able to answer the question “how old were you when you decided that you wanted to play the drums”. The reason is because he cannot remember a time when he didn't. As organic as it is for a baby to take its first breath of air and as natural as it is for a child to eventually crawl and then walk, it was as instinctual in the make up of Sam Kallaos that he was to be a drummer.

Born and raised in St. Louis Missouri Sam began his formal percussion training at age 7. He studied from grade school through high school with several of the most recommended teachers in the area including Carl Albrect for drumset and Thomas Stubbs of the St. Louis Symphony for concert percussion. Sam began to make a name for himself in the St. Louis area early in high school as a sub with the area’s top dance bands as well as his own wedding band “Absolute Zero”.  As high school drew to a close Sam won the prestigious Louis Armstrong Jazz award which led to interest from many colleges. Wanting to remain in Missouri Sam accepted a music scholarship to Southwest Missouri State University.

It did not take Sam long to find his way around the music scene in Southwest Missouri. Within his first year at Southwest Missouri State Sam was playing drums and percussion in the SMS Wind Ensemble and Orchestra as well as the Marching Band and the Jazz band. In addition he played with a 20 piece big band and a septet on the side for extra income. As college progressed his musical playing life seemed to overshadow his educational life at times. Sam took several light semesters to travel with different acts. Among those were the great “Don Shipp’s and the Titanic Blues Band”, “New World Spirits” and “Dangerous Company”. In Sam’s last full semester in college he had the honor to tour Germany, Austria and Switzerland and play as a featured act at the Montreux Jazz Festival with the guitar great John Pizzarelli Jr. Other artists that Sam had the honor to back during that phase of his career were Clark Terry, Frank Mantooth, Bobby Shew, and Roger Ingram.

After returning from Europe Sam was offered an audition at the Shoji Tabuchi Theater in Branson Missouri. He was fortunate enough to win that audition. Through time and hard work Sam was promoted to band leader and conductor. In his capacity at the theater Sam also served as the in house Taiko drum instructor, a position that he still is able to do for the theater as schedules permit. During his time in Branson Sam was featured in 2 issues of Modern Drummer. In 1997 he was featured in the “On the Move” section and April of 2001 he was interviewed for an article on Branson drummers. During this period in his career Sam finished his course work and graduated college with his BSE in music in the summer of 1997.

 Education being a huge drive in Sam’s life led him to find work in the off seasons as a clinician and guest soloist with various groups across the state. Sam would take every opportunity that he could find to work with young drummers and give back what he felt he had gained through is school band experience.

In 2002 after 8 years with the Tabuchi theater Sam decided that he wanted to take his dream a step further. With a little bit of savings in the bank and many many hours on his knees in heavy prayer he and his fiancée (now wife) packed his things and moved to Nashville Tennessee. Upon arrival Sam started trying to meet as many people as he could and play as much as he could. In his first year he backed up Tasha Valentine, Angel Nash, and John Fishell. Sam also had the fortune to hook up with Wayne Avers and Ed Cain to form the Wayne Avers trio which in their stand alone group enjoys playing original Jazz but also serves as a back up band to various artists in town.

Currently Sam keeps busy between his family, playing and teaching. He is very proud to be the second newest member of “Brazilbilly”. In addition to the wonderful musicianship and the great personalities in the band Sam is very much enjoying seeing the way that “Classic Country Music” touches the audiences that Brazilbilly serves not only at Roberts Western World but wherever they play. Sam credits God, his wife Bridget and daughter Clara as well as his parents and Yia Yia’s for his success in life and in the music industry so far.

• Jesse Lee Jones “The Brazilian Hillbilly” - Vocals, Rhythm Guitar and percussion.

Jesse Lee was born and raised in Sao Paulo, Brazil. For the greater part of his childhood he was a troubled youth stemming from divorced parents and separation from his siblings. He grew up confused and unhappy without any direction or an outlet for his pain. His mother recognized her son’s musical talents from his involvement in the church youth choir. Thinking that he needed solace to his pain, she purchased him a guitar so that he might find a hobby that sufficed him. The church also encouraged Jesse Lee’s musical ability by suggesting he be part of a church talent show. Therefore at the age of eighteen he made his first public appearance singing “Country Roads”. From that point on, singing and performing became of great interest to Jesse Lee and served as an outlet for many years to come.

Growing up in one of the largest cities in the world he was automatically influenced by an incredible and eclectic repertoire of musical styles to include: Bossa Nova, Samba, Brazilian Pop Music, Brazilian Jazz, Classical, Tango, Bolero and Latin music in general. Jesse grew-up around Italians, French, German, Japanese and most of all the American Continent cultures.

The dream of someday coming to North America came after his exposure to Traditional Black Gospel, Hillbilly Country and Rockabilly music. After achieving some notoriety in Brazil with church functions, club appearances, concerts and local television shows, Jesse Lee prepared to leave his home in Brazil to pursue his musical dream in the United States. Although he could not speak English he did not let that stand in his way. He left Brazil in 1984 at the young age of 21 years old with $500 in his pocket.

He flew into Miami, and boarded a bus that was to take him to Salt Lake City where he would be joining fellow Mormon Church members. Not long into the bus trip he fell asleep. When he woke, he discovered he had been robbed of his entire belongings. He had no money, no clothes, no ID, no passport, and no guitar. Crying and not eating for the next few days touched a fellow traveler. When the bus made a stop in Peoria, Illinois, he contacted a local Mormon church with the help of this fellow traveler. A church family took him into their home and helped him to get on his feet. His first job was to baby sit children in exchange for room & board. It was watching Sesame Street with the children where he learned the majority of his English. He was then able to obtain other odd jobs delivering newspapers, mowing lawns, maintenance, etc. He eventually raised enough money to purchase another guitar and was then able to start booking gigs on his off time. He quickly became a local nightclub favorite. But his most memorable performance was when he lead a courtroom of new American citizens in “America the Beautiful” as he became a U.S. Citizen that day as well.

In 1985 he moved to Atlanta hoping a larger city would offer more opportunities. Not being the case he came back to Peoria a year later to rejoin the family and friends that had helped him in the beginning.

Back in Peoria he joined an area Jr. College and took classes required for a degree in law enforcement. He had considered becoming a police officer should his dream of music fall short. While becoming more active in church, attending school, and working, Jesse Lee was realizing that Peoria was now “home”. This stability allowed him to discover more about himself and come to a realization of who he was and what he wanted for his future. After playing many different arenas and going through many styles of music and entertainment levels, it also became evident that traditional country music was the style he had grown to love the most. Discovering this and knowing he had outgrown the Peoria market he began preparing to replant his roots where he could live out his destiny.

It was then, Jesse moved to Nashville in 1994. Being accepted and recognized is a tremendous challenge for any musician more so for a foreigner Jesse Lee would soon discover. He took a job scrubbing the decks of the General Jackson Showboat at Opryland for approximately $4.00 an hour just to make a living. Because his music was progressing slowly he maintained his weekend gigs in Peoria until he got better established in his new city. It was during his many weekend road trips back and forth to Peoria to play music that he would listen to his tapes of traditional country music. During one of those trips he listened to a Marty Robbins cassette that had a somewhat Spanish flair to it, and from that point on, Marty Robbins became his greatest hero and mentor.

His first gig in Nashville was at the Shoney’s Inn lounge near the Opryland Hotel. This eventually turned into a regular job and led him to the honky tonk scene of lower Broadway. It was the owner of the famous Robert’s Western Wear that first recognized the talent and potential that Jesse Lee possessed. Robert immediately began pulling together a band to back Jesse Lee naming them the Tennessee Travelers. It was at this same time that BR-549 was gaining much popularity as the house band for Robert’s Western Wear. It was the members of BR-549 sitting around one day listening to Jesse Lee rehearse that they began calling him the “Brazilian Hillbilly”. Before the day was over this name had transformed into the name still known today as “Brazilbilly”.

Since arriving in Nashville in the mid 1990’s, Jesse Lee has come a long way. His style of music has been firmly grounded and accepted. His days of listening to Marty Robbins, Hank Williams, Elvis, Frank Sanatra, and the Beatles, definitely show in his style. This combined with his Latin heritage, language diversity, and incredible voice, has turned Jesse’s mind towards a career in the purest form of country music. His mantra today, “Traditional Country Music with a Latin Flair”.

After establishing himself with a band, Jesse Lee began playing 5 nights a week opening for BR-549 at Robert’s Western Wear. As BR-549 gained recognition that lead to a recording contract and international tour, Brazilbilly was also gaining momentum. Realizing he had a niche’ Robert Moore turned what was once a western clothing store gone music venue into a full fledge nightclub changing the name to Robert’s Western World.
BR-549 eventually stopped performing at Robert’s due to tour obligations and Brazilbilly moved into the main time slot becoming the new house band in 1998.

In the year to come Jesse Lee played Robert’s as well as other venues in Nashville. He also worked daily jobs to bring in extra money. One position he held was assisting Robert with the daily responsibilities at the club. In the summer of 1999, Robert had found other interests and was considering letting go of his nightclub. This was of great interest to Jesse Lee as the thought of being a business owner in America was a dream come true to second to being an artist. As fate would have it, a partnership opportunity found it’s way to Jesse Lee and he became co-owner of Robert’s Western World in August of 1999.

Shortly following, Jesse Lee released his first album in Nashville combining several Latin ballads with some ole country favorites. Although acquiring Robert’s has taken much time and focus away from music, Jesse Lee is still performing every Friday and Saturday nights as the house band. Brazilbilly has become a local favorite and gained much notoriety in the Nashville community.