Jim VanCleve

Faith, Family, Fiddle & So Much More

Photos by Shelley Swanger

Jim VanCleve—best known as a fiddler, writer, session player, and producer—is first and foremost a man of faith and family who exhibits a burning passion for music. He quickly credits his grandfather and father as major influences in his personal and musical development.

As a child, VanCleve was exposed to the joy of music by his maternal grandfather. A minister, Herbert Wolber, loved the Lord and his family.

“Grandpa had a passion for music. He was a Renaissance man, built his own home while on mission in New Guinea, and built his own dulcimer. When I was 6 years old, I was given a fiddle. He loved me to play tunes with him.”

Growing up in Sarasota, Florida VanCleve watched his dad, Don, pick guitar while Grandpa played harmonica and dulcimer. Weekly, they performed with snowbird, old time fiddler, and Rounder recording artist, Ralph Blizzard, at a local Golden Corral restaurant. 

VanCleve fondly recalled, “When Ralph would fiddle ‘Orange Blossom Special,’ I would stand in a chair and blow a train whistle. That was my first experience in front of a live audience.”

At age eight, VanCleve’s family relocated to Canton, NC. 

“We moved because my parents were absolutely in LOVE with the Appalachian Mountains and culture. This really led me to being immersed in authentic mountain music which now informs Appalachian Road Show.”

While separated from his grandfather, VanCleve literally forgot about playing music. A few years later though, Grandpa came for a visit and things suddenly changed.

“He purposely booked us to play a church retreat to get me playing again. I hadn’t played much in a couple of years, so I guess it was a trick to get me back into music! After that, Dad and I started playing together all the time.

“My Grandpa’s joy for life and for music is what I’ll remember best about him; he was a huge encouragement, but I cannot overstate my dad’s part. He played the most supportive role in my overall musical development and growth. Always willing to play some tunes or make sure we got to that jam session or festival we couldn’t really afford. He was just so supportive of me in music. We really had some of the best times going to jams, festivals, and contests when I was growing up. He did all this while also trying to manage our household and deal with the mental, emotional, and substance abuse issues that plagued my mother. Whether I knew it or not, music was my escape from all that turmoil and I think Dad could sense that.”

The following April the pair attended Merlefest. The young musician saw performances by Tony Rice, Doc Watson, Norman Blake, and his new favorite band, Strength in Numbers. That experience solidified his connection with music.

“It took hold of me. I couldn’t get enough of it. People would ask Dad, ‘How do you get him to practice?’ And he would respond, ‘How do I get him to do anything else?’ I would stay up way too late on school nights. The world and its troubles would retreat and I would just play. Music is the purest expression of joy, worship, and escape. At the time, it was more important than even I realized.”

At 14, doors started opening. VanCleve won Charlotte Folk Music Society’s $1,000 Fiddle Contest, the NC/SC Bi-State Championship Fiddle Prize, and experienced his first paying gigs with NC-based Rebel recording artists, Ricochet.

“Then I went to IBMA the last year it was in Owensboro. I think my dad saw where all this was going and let me skip a week of school.”

There the young fiddler made connections in the industry. He met Scott Vestal and Clay Jones and began playing shows with Lou Reid & Carolina while still a high school student.

“During my senior year, making A’s was relatively easy so I basically played fiddle and basketball. I worked hard to be a starter on the varsity team.”

A time came when he had to make a choice.

“Lou Reid was booked at the Bijou Theater in Knoxville, a co-bill with Del McCoury. It was the same night as our home opening game.”

VanCleve made a difficult decision and left the team.

Gena Britt recalled that night. “I met Jim VanCleve when he was around 16 years old. The first time I heard him, I knew he was destined for great things. I was fortunate to work with him in his early career in Lou Reid & Carolina. One memory stands out in particular from a show at The Bijou Theatre. Like I said, he was very young at the time. He took a rousing fiddle break and the crowd went crazy. He looked over at me, laughed, and deadpanned, ‘I’m a Star.’  The truth is, he was then, and he is now. He is professional in every way, whether it’s behind the fiddle or in the studio producing. I’m proud to call him friend.”

Shortly after that life altering decision, VanCleve enrolled in the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.

When asked his major, he laughed, “I think I majored in jamming!”

During VanCleve’s first semester, his friend and future Mountain Heart band mate, Alan Perdue, invited the 17-year-old to fiddle on a Rounder recording with Junior Sisk. Recorded at Doobie Shea, VanCleve’s first studio experience (with Dan Tyminski and Ronnie Bowman producing and Tim Austin engineering) featured a bluegrass musician’s dream team. 

“I was blessed to be surrounded with heroes and legends in the industry. I tried to absorb as much as humanly possible during those sessions.”

Then VanCleve’s life took an unexpected turn. His beloved grandpa died of cancer.

“I became disillusioned with school. My priorities were (and maybe always had been) in music. I was driving between Nashville and Greensboro constantly,” he admitted. “When I recorded Bluegrass 98 with Scott Vestal, I stayed up all night and drove into the dawn, studying for a science test. I was late and parked where I’d get towed, but if I didn’t, I’d miss the test. Somehow I got an A!”

During his second semester, Doyle Lawson called. He had heard VanCleve’s fiddle work on Sisk’s masters.

“At first, I turned the Quicksilver job down and tried to focus on school. But when Grandpa died, it was like it was all aligning for music. I talked to my dad and some close friends. I think music was put in my soul, even before I was created.”

With his dad’s blessing, the freshman reached out to Lawson to see if the job was still available. It was, and in 1998, the 18-year-old boarded Doyle’s bus and became the newest member of Quicksilver. He quickly bonded with the group’s banjoist, Barry Abernathy.

Abernathy shared his admiration for VanCleve. “He’s a wonderful person, father, and one of my best friends in the world. I first met him at First Class Bluegrass when I was with Doyle. I’ve seen him mature from a hot shot prodigy into a man who takes that drive and channels it and makes it productive. As respected as he is, I feel he’s underrated. He’s a creator and sees the big picture.”

The fiddler worked with Lawson for a year. Then Abernathy left to form Mountain Heart with Steve Gulley and Adam Steffey.

“Barry didn’t want to influence me. He didn’t want to take Doyle’s band from him. I convinced him to let me play with them. We got together at Steffey’s house and everyone got along really well.”

In 1999, VanCleve and Abernathy disembarked Doyle’s bus in Bristol and headed straight to Doobie Shea to record their first Mountain Heart project. 

Following two successful Doobie Shea albums and a couple IBMA awards, Mountain Heart signed with Skaggs Family Records.

“At that point, I was blessed to observe a legend, Ricky Skaggs, at the helm for two projects. This further fueled my hunger for understanding how to step beyond just playing fiddle and actually producing music in the studio.”

After a pair of highly successful Skaggs Family records, a few dozen Grand Ole Opry performances, and more IBMA awards, through a fortuitous circumstance, VanCleve made a powerful connection. “As my session career was growing, I was blessed to meet Mark Bright, one of Nashville’s most successful producers of the last few decades (Peter Cetera, Carrie Underwood, Rascal Flatts). A fan of Mountain Heart, he eventually agreed to produce our next project. Working with him and his top-tier team lit me even more on fire for producing music, revealing an even higher level of quality and craftsmanship on the production and sonic side of music.”

That passion for raising the stakes sonically and artistically for the genre never left.  VanCleve embarked on a new venture. “My first solo project, No Apologies (released in 2006 on Rural Rhythm), was my first full-out production that I tackled entirely myself. I’d been involved with the production of many projects, but for the first time, I was responsible for everything.”

No Apologies was subsequently Grammy-nominated and achieved two multi-month number one songs on bluegrass radio, validating his burgeoning reputation in production and studio circles.

All the while, VanCleve was being recruited for A-listers’ session work. 

“At 22 or 23 years old, to be recording with Glen Campbell, Johnny Cash, James Taylor, Emmylou Harris, Alison Krauss, Vince Gill, Merle Haggard, Linda Ronstadt, Alan Jackson, Dolly Parton, and so many others, was and still is, mind boggling.”

About this time he met his future wife, Desneige, at Grey Fox Festival in NY.

“Though she was a fan of Mountain Heart, she didn’t know me. I worked hard to change that. She wanted to purchase our gospel record, but we were sold out. I asked for her email address so I could send her a copy. God put it all in place. It literally was love at first sight. She came into my life like a tornado and that hasn’t really changed!”

          Desneige recalled their first encounter. “I am a born and raised Pennsylvania Yankee and when I heard that sweet southern drawl with that big ole Jim VanCleve grin…it was just over. We took a band photo together (that I still have). My face is a dark shade of red because Jim’s arm is touching mine. I went home and told my mother I’d met the man I was going to marry. Somehow, by the Lord’s provision, within a year we were engaged, expecting our first child, and now 15 years later, he’s still my absolute best yes.”

Their union produced three talented children. During this time, Mountain Heart began to change. 

“My stint with Mountain Heart ran 17 years. We had a great ride, worked hard to break through glass ceilings. I’m proud of what we created.”

Recession hit and the band’s founding members looked for other means of livelihood. VanCleve was concerned about his family’s welfare. Then Kevin Haynie (Aubrey’s brother) invited VanCleve to fill in with Josh Turner’s band.

“What started as a fill-in turned into a great ride. I stayed with Josh 3 ½ years, working my way into foreign skin in the country music touring scene. It was very different with more shows than I expected, mostly due to performing with the acoustic ensemble which covered radio dates. It provided nice paychecks, but I was away from home and my family. And though I was still producing records, at my core, creatively, something felt off.”

Then, perhaps fatefully, Abernathy reappeared. During his hiatus from playing, VanCleve’s former band mate drove buses professionally for Martina McBride and others, and was there to transport Turner’s band.

VanCleve recalled, “We sat up talking all night like we used to. Years earlier, I’d had an idea for a ‘presentation’ of music, which eventually grew into what Appalachian Road Show is today.”

Abernathy interjected. “Jim’s my right-hand man. He’s a part of me musically. He can read my mind. He makes what I hear (in my head) come to life. We trust and understand each other.

“He had the idea of a road show, a variety type show, of sorts. I took his vision and focused it on the people of Appalachia, which was actually more personal to him and me.”

During that conversation, VanCleve suggested Darrell Webb to Abernathy as the pair kicked around ideas. 

“I told Barry that Darrell is Appalachia.” In the studio, VanCleve had produced records for Webb and was well acquainted with his authentic Appalachian artistry.

While still performing with Turner, VanCleve helped the new band with vision, chord charts, song lists, and produced their first recordings. He fiddled and sang on a few songs and agreed to perform with them during their debut at IBMA.

“At IBMA, my wife saw me play with ARS, saw first-hand how much fun I was having. I was more like myself, more alive. She said, ‘You need to do this.’”

Desneige admitted, “The decision for The Appalachian Roadshow was one of our easiest/hardest decisions we’ve made together. We both had decided we wanted Jim to focus on growing his production business so that he could be home more, but ARS excited him. He was invested in the idea and talked about it a lot. He wasn’t able to cover up the joy and longing I could see in his face. So, after praying and thinking through our lives, I wanted him to have this. 

“There’s something special about Jim’s performance, his presence on stage, and how much he loves it. It truly sets his soul on fire. I told him he had my blessing and to go for it. This was a moment of pure joy for him. It was almost like freedom he didn’t even know he needed. He has to be creating music and giving it to people. It’s his act of worship to God and oh, the glory he brings our Father in heaven.”

It was definitely the right decision.  ARS was the first group to sign with newly formed Billy Blue Records in Nashville.

Jerry Salley, Songwriter and Creative/A&R Director, Billy Blue Records, expressed, “You won’t find a finer person or more talented musician in any genre of music than Jim VanCleve. From his incredible fiddle playing, to his songwriting, singing and production ability, Jim can do it all. I first met him years ago when he was a member of Mountain Heart, and quickly realized what a gifted man he is.  (We actually wrote a song together back then called ‘Another Day’ on their Force Of Nature project). When I found out he would be a vital member of the new super group Appalachian Road Show, along with Abernathy and Webb, I was very excited.”

VanCleve is pleased with the band’s early success. “It’s been exciting to see ARS take off so quickly! Less than two years in, already headlining major festivals and topping the charts…that’s just not how it usually goes. We’ve been so grateful for the response.”

He’s equally excited about their latest recording, Tribulation, which he co-produced. “We tackled a large scope and scale, and I think we accomplished exactly what we set out to do. I’m proud of it as a production. I feel it’s very well put together and has an uncommon emotional depth. To see it received so well, even in the midst of a pandemic, has been amazing!”

Indeed, Tribulation has received a great deal of national attention, including NPR’s All Things Considered, NBC’s The Today Show, American Songwriter, and a host of others. It is a testament to VanCleve’s sentiment, “I feel we’re tapping into something much larger, something both ancient and current, primal and present.” 

Abernathy agreed. “It powerfully tells the story of the trials, tribulations, and hard times of the Appalachian people.”

The master music maker juggles a complex lifestyle. VanCleve built and operates his own recording studio, Third Dawn Studio, in the Nashville area. A producer, audio engineer, and musical creative genius, he is a Grammy-winning session musician and Grammy-nominated solo artist. His songs, performances, and productions are often found at the top of Bluegrass and Americana charts and his clients and peers are quick to sing his praises.

Young acoustic phenoms, The Band of Kelleys, stated, “Jim has an uncanny, almost magical ability to transform a song, idea, track, or singer into something beautiful. Although he’d never tell you, he’s an absolute genius; a brilliant producer and mentor who has never failed to be 100% honest with us… something that’s hard to find.”

Missouri-based Lindley Creek also trusted VanCleve with their brand, and sings his praises as a producer. “We needed someone that could tell us our strengths, but also where we needed to work harder. He is honest, very exacting, and as a bonus, he’s a blast to work with! His skill as a producer is only matched by his ability to engineer, mix, and master.”

          “Jimmy is one of the finest fiddlers I’ve ever worked with and a talented young producer as well. His fiddling on Livin’, Lovin’, Losin’: Songs Of The Louvin Brothers was stellar to say the least,” Producer Carl Jackson stated.

But, perhaps VanCleve’s wife surmised her husband best. “Jim’s musical giftings are soul deep. When I listen to him, it literally ministers to my heart, mind, and spirit. When I hear the music that he creates himself or helps others create, it moves me more than anything else in life besides the Lord himself.

“Jim loves Jesus and his family more than anything. It still surprises me how genuine he is in his devotion to lead us, serve us, care for us, and create happiness for our children and me. He loves us so deeply, unconditionally, and selflessly. Our children adore him and so do I. I couldn’t be more proud of the husband and father he is. I’m so honored and grateful to be his wife.”

VanCleve is definitely a product of the men in his life.  He concluded, “My drives are my family and my salvation. My calling to music supports that. Do it with integrity. Strive to be Christ-like.”