Portland native Mesi got his start in Brown Sugar, one of the two leaders of Portland’s thriving 1970's
blues scene (the other was Sleazy Pieces). Brown Sugar was the springboard for the careers of vocalist and
blues harp maestro Paul DeLay, guitarist/vocalist Lloyd Jones (the drummer then), and Mesi. When the group broke up in the 1980's, DeLay and Mesi continued as the Paul DeLay Band. Throughout the decade, the DeLay Band played to audiences of three hundred to five hundred people virtually every weekend. A substantial addition to the Mesi reputation came during this period, when the Paul DeLay Band was opening a show for
blues guitar legend B.B. King. Toward the end of their set, Mesi looked out at the audience and noticed an especially familiar face up front. It was B.B. King himself, smiling, holding his hands as if praying, and bowing toward Mesi. Word quickly spread around the Northwest that the DeLay Band had a guitar player personally blessed by the great B.B. King. In 1988 Mesi broke away from the group, and started his own project, The Jim Mesi Band. In 1994, The Mesi Band, featuring singer Lily Wilde and guitarist Steve Bradley, released the live performance CD "Hot Night At The Candlelight" to rave reviews. In 1996, Mesi named his first solo CD "
Blues For Christopher" in honor of his son. The album showcases Mesi's versatility and mastery of the classic styles of American electric music. From a Link Wray reverb twang to spicy pedal-steel guitar, and
blues solo's that roar and wail, Mesi plays with an inventiveness and tone that few in the region can match. Mesi's second CD, "Shut Up And Play" is composed entirely of instrumentals. Watching other guitarists watch Mesi is a favorite pastime in Portland bars. When Mesi plays, other guitarists' jaws drop at the melodic adventurousness of his soloing. As a measure of this respect, Mesi was named to the Cascade Blue's Society's
Blues Hall Of Fame in 1995. He has won many other awards including all five “Best Guitarist” awards from Fresh Weekly Music Magazine every year they had the awards, (Robert Cray was runner-up), best musical act from Two Louie’s Magazine, received several "Muddy Awards" from the Cascade
Blues Association for LIFETIME ACHEIVEMENT in 2000, best band in 1992, best guitarist nine times, inducted into the hall of fame in 1995, and two “Muddy Awards” in 2001 for "Best Northwest Album of the Year" and "Best Performance of the Year" (at the 2001 Portland Waterfront
Blues Festival). He has received consistently enthusiastic reviews from many major newspapers, is ranked as one of Portland's top guitarists by The Oregonian, and has been featured in Rolling Stone and Sunset Magazine.