James “Yank” Rachell
March 16, 1910 – April 9, 1997
Yank Rachell was a country blues musician with a twist in that he played the mandolin. Born in Brownsville, Tennessee in 1910, Rachell began to teach himself to play the mandolin at just eight years old. He hooked up with the legendary Sleepy John Estes in the mid ’20s and by 1929 they formed the Three J’s Jug Band, making a name for themselves along the jug band circuit. Unfortunately, the Depression derailed the band’s plans for fame and fortune so they broke up. In 1933, Rachell dicovered a young harmonica player by the name of Sonny Boy Williamson with whom he recorded for the next ten years. He was finally earning a comfortable living doing what he loved. Rachell met a girl and got married in 1938 and decided to settle down and raise a family. By the time Williams was murdered in 1948, Rachell was all but retired from music, at least as a profession. In the early ’60s, he again teamed up with Estes and began touring the college and festival circuit. After Estes’ death in 1977, Rachell continued to perform solo and occasionally recorded up until his death at the age of 87.
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