You Call Yourself a Cadillac - Jimbo Mathus

In additions to his work with the Squirrel Nut Zippers, singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist Jim Mathus has pursued projects outside of the group (often under variations of his name, including James Mathus, Jas Mathus, Jimbo "Hambone" Mathus, and Jimbo Mathus). He worked with Andrew Bird on albums Thrills and Bowl of Fire. In 1997, Mathus, bassist Stu Cole, Mike Napolitano, and pianist Greg Bell formed the Knockdown Society and released Play Songs for Rosetta, a collection of bluesman Charley Patton's songs to benefit Patton's daughter Rosetta and her family. In late 2001 Mathus released National Antiseptic, a tribute to the electric juke joint swamp rock of the Deep South. This album was followed by Stop and Let the Devil Ride in 2003, and two years later Knockdown South. Mathus returned to the acoustic roots of Mississippi blues and country with Old Scool Hot Wings in 2006. Also in 2006, under the name Jimbo Mathus, the album Jimmy the Kid was released by Artemis Records. (Source: Heather Phares, All Music Guide). In addition, Mathus played a key role in Buddy Guy's Sweet Tea (2001) and Grammy winning Blues Singer (2004) as guitarist and arranger, and contributed vocals on North Mississippi Allstars 2006 Grammy nominated Electric Blues Watermelon.

In March 2010, Jimbo Mathus presented his musical Mosquitoville: Mississippi Songs and Stories at the Panola Playhouse in Sardis. He plans to take the production on the road around the state. Mathus, the leader of the TriState Coalition and the owner of the Delta Recording Service in Como, Mississippi, says the musical Mosquitoville is based on local history around the 1880's in Quitman County. The story is based on a journal kept by a man named John Parrot from Sledge, Mississippi, who worked at a lumber camp north of South Lake called Mosquitoville. The show includes a six-piece band and a six-piece chorus who perform indigenous music as well as music by Sid Hemphill, Stephen Foster, Jimmie Rodgers and others (Source: Scott Baretta. The Clarion-Ledger. March 4, 2010). Mathus hopes to help Mississippians appreciate their musical heritage.