Never too Late: Jim Kweskin: Duets with My Friends was released January 26, 2024, and I just spotted it during a visit to Down Home Music. I first saw Jim Kweskin live in 1963 when he did a solo show at a folk festival at Williams College in Massachusetts. It was not long after that that he became pretty well-known with his jug band. Much more recently, I’ve seen him a number of times at Berkeley’s Freight & Salvage. This recording offers a delightful journey through a wide range of songs, types of singing, and singers, each of whom is unique in a different way. The singers and the players are obviously having a great time, and that means great listening.

The CD features 18 songs, mostly duets, with some of his favorite singers. He sings “Let’s Get Happy Together” and “The Sheik of Araby” with Maria Muldaur, his bandmate from the 1960s. His granddaughter, Fiona Kweskin, joins him for “You’re Just in Love,” “Side by Side,” and “What Does the Deep Sea Say.” Fiona has a clear, high voice.

Samoa Wilson joins him on “Honey in the Rock,” the Carter family’s “Engine 143,” and “Remember Me.”  Samoa has a lower-pitched voice. Meredith Axelrod sings “Leaving Home (Frankie and Johnny)” and “Sally Don’t You Grieve,” by Woody Guthrie and Malvina Reynolds, with him. Meredith’s voice always sounds to me as if it was pulled from an ancient 78. She also sings mouth trumpet, which reminds me of Bob Gurland who did it in the 1960s. Meredith also sings harmony on “What Does the Deep Sea Say” and “Live and Let Live.” Juli Crockett wrote and sang the title cut, “Never Too Late,” “Moby Dick,” on which Jim plays banjo, and “Live And Let Live,” which has an extended life in bluegrass. Nell Foote does “The Lone Pilgrim” with a backup choir. Rose Guerin sings “Mother Earth” and Leadbelly’s “Relax Your Mind.” Jessie Benton sings “The Cuckoo.” And Kweskin sings “I Ain’t Never Been Satisfied” with Rose, Samoa, and Fiona.

The recording is dedicated to the memory of Jessie Benton. There are too many backup musicians to list them all. However, Cindy Cashdollar plays a variety of slide guitar instruments on many cuts, as does Suzy Thompson on fiddle, and Matthew Berlin on bass. Richie Guerin plays mandolin on many tracks, and Annie Raines adds harmonica.

Each song comes with an exquisite, finely tuned arrangement. But the main attraction is that it is so much fun, and that comes across in full strength.

If you were a Jim Kweskin & The Jug Band fan or if this is new to you, you can’t go wrong. Order this recording in various formats here.

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Jim Kweskin will be touring in February in CA: Santa Monica, Berkeley, Petaluma, Napa