Remembering Mitch Jayne
Mitch Jayne
So do your roaming in the springtime
And you’ll find your love in the summer sun
The frost will come and bring the harvest
And you can sleep when day is done
- “There is a Time”
On August 2, Mitch Jayne passed away from cancer, reportedly only two weeks after his diagnosis. Jayne is best known for the wit and warmth he brought to the stage as the bassist for Salem, Missouri’s The Dillards. Initially rising to fame playing The Darlings on The Andy Griffith Show, The Dillards would prove to be supremely influential not only on progressive bluegrass, but also on folk and country rock acts like The Byrds, Buffalo Springfield and even The Eagles.
Upon their induction into the IBMA Hall of Fame last year, Jayne had this to say in a interview with KSMU Ozark Public Radio:
We appreciate so much the fact that somebody has finally told us that we matter. That we made a difference. And mattering? [laughs] Most bluegrass groups don’t worry about whether they can matter, they worry about whether they’re going to get fed that night. But after all these years it’s nice to find out that you really did matter in the big scheme of things.
As a member of The Dillards, Jayne’s storytelling skills were as crucial as his bass playing, his irreverent and hilarious banter an essential part of the shows. This gift of gab and love of language wove throughout his work, whether he was hosting radio shows, writing songs, or penning novels and a weekly newspaper column.
Jayne leaves us with a legacy that speaks to the power of regional storytelling. Born in Indiana and raised in Northern Missouri, Jayne fell in love with the Ozarks when he was in college. It was from this landscape, with it’s distinct linguistic color, that he drew inspiration. Underneath his affectionate riffs on regional foibles was a deep sense of connection to the land and the people that populated it, as well as a concern that the ever-creeping forces of homogenization would sweep this culture aside. During his lifetime, Jayne used the best weapons at his disposal – humor and storytelling – as part of the good fight to prevent that from happening.
If nothing else, Jayne’s own deep-rooted sense of place should invite us all to dig a little deeper in our own backyards. So let’s celebrate the man and the music with a few choice selections, just to scratch the surface of his joyous career.
Jayne talks Ozarkian linguistics with Rodney Dillard, from the documentary “A Night in the Ozarks.”
Kicking it old school on The Andy Griffith Show
Covered by everyone from J.D. Crowe to Phish, chances are you’ve heard The Dillards’ “The Old Home Place” more than a few times. Here’s the original line-up throwing down on their much-loved tune, at a festival appearance in Denmark in 1999.
“Dooley,” from the same festival, complete with a light-hearted Jayne intro.
“The Whole World Round” from the documentary “A Night in the Ozarks.”
Finally, The Rodney Dillard Band’s moving performance of “There is a Time,” featuring Maggie Peterson (aka Charlene Darling), dedicated to Jayne.
Steve Hatchett Says:
