Being from Chicago, where he resided in his latter years, I was lucky enough to work with Jethro Burns a number of times. Jethro was not only a fabulous mandolin player and very funny human being, he was also as humble and common a person as you'll ever meet.

I originally met Jethro when playing with a country band, Cactus Jack. Our manager at the time had also started booking Jethro and arranged for us to back him on a number of dates. We'd play, he'd play, and then we'd play together. We did mostly swing standards (C Jam Blues, Lady Be Good), country shuffles (The Keys in the Mailbox, Occasional Wife, Swinging Doors) and Bluegrass (Rocky Top, Blue Moon of Kentucky). But what I remember best was his ballad playing. He could do a song like "The Night Life" or "For the Goodtimes" and absolutely break your heart.

Later, I formed a band with his son John, a great guitarist in his own right. We played original rock 'n' roll and warped 60's tunes. I was told later that, when telling his dad that we'd be working together, his response was, "So, you're putting together a band that can really sing". I have never received a better compliment.

We (John Burns, our bass player and myself) started playing Sunday night jam/shows at a bar on the North Shore. It was for tips, but it gave us a chance to get tight. Jethro would often come out and "play along". I once asked him why. After all, he could play with anyone he wanted and get paid for it, to boot. His response was simple: how else could he get out of the house to drink some beer and play some music on a Sunday night. He was the best.