Jesse Brock (born 1972) is a mandolin player and singer from Illinois who has played bluegrass for more than 40 years. He won IBMA Mandolin Player of the Year in 2009, 2015, and 2024. He has played with Michael Cleveland and Flamekeeper, the Gibson Brothers, and Audie Blaylock, and since 2022 he has played mandolin in Authentic Unlimited, three-time IBMA Vocal Group of the Year.
Why Brock matters
Brock is a traditional player at the top of his craft. He came up in a family band, and his playing has the drive and bluesy edge of the Monroe school with modern precision. He is a favorite of hard-driving bands because he makes them sound better: a solid chop, clean breaks, and strong harmony singing. His recording of Jerusalem Ridge with Michael Cleveland won IBMA Instrumental Recorded Performance of the Year in 2009.
Life and career
Brock was born on July 18, 1972, in Decatur, Illinois. He started out in his family’s group, the CW Brock Family. Over the years he played with the Lynn Morris Band, Chris Jones and the Night Drivers, and Fast Track. He played with fiddler Michael Cleveland and Flamekeeper when that band won IBMA Instrumental Group of the Year in 2007, 2008, and 2009. In 2009 he also won his first Mandolin Player of the Year award.
He later played with Audie Blaylock and Redline and with the Gibson Brothers, and won the IBMA mandolin award again in 2015. His first solo album, Kickin’ Grass, came out on Pinecastle in 2002, and his second, Streamliner, on Sound Biscuit in 2021.
In 2022 he joined former Quicksilver members Eli Johnston, Stephen Burwell, and Jerry Cole, plus singer John Meador, to form Authentic Unlimited. The band debuted on February 19, 2022, released its first two albums on Billy Blue that May, and played the Grand Ole Opry in November 2023. It won IBMA New Artist and Vocal Group of the Year in 2023, Vocal Group and Song of the Year in 2024, and Vocal Group again in 2025. Brock won his third IBMA mandolin award in 2024.
Playing style
Brock plays with a strong, even attack and a full tone. His breaks follow the Monroe model of blues notes and slides, with clean double stops and crisp timing. He favors melody over flash and plays to the song. His chop is loud and steady, the kind that holds a fast band together.
He also sings lead and harmony, and his mandolin fills fit around the vocals. On instrumentals like Jerusalem Ridge he plays with care for every note and the tune’s slow build.
Influences and legacy
Brock grew up on his family’s music and the Bill Monroe tradition. He has played beside Michael Cleveland, Audie Blaylock, Lynn Morris, Chris Jones, the Gibson Brothers, and the former Quicksilver players who followed Doyle Lawson.
His three IBMA wins came between the streaks of Adam Steffey and Sierra Hull, and he has been a nominee for years beside Hull, Sam Bush, Ronnie McCoury, and Alan Bibey.
Signature tunes and songs
Jerusalem Ridge Fall in Tennessee Ashland Breakdown.
Essential recordings
Kickin’ Grass (Pinecastle, 2002) Streamliner (Sound Biscuit, 2021) Authentic Unlimited’s first albums (Billy Blue, 2022)
Awards and honors
IBMA Instrumental Group of the Year, with Michael Cleveland and Flamekeeper (2007, 2008, 2009) IBMA Mandolin Player of the Year (2009) IBMA Instrumental Recorded Performance of the Year, Jerusalem Ridge, with Michael Cleveland and Flamekeeper (2009) IBMA Mandolin Player of the Year (2015) IBMA New Artist of the Year, with Authentic Unlimited (2023) IBMA Vocal Group of the Year, with Authentic Unlimited (2023, 2024, 2025) IBMA Song of the Year, Fall in Tennessee, with Authentic Unlimited (2024) IBMA Mandolin Player of the Year (2024) SPBGMA Mandolin Player of the Year (2026)
Watch and listen
Brock plays Bill Monroe’s Jerusalem Ridge. Listen to how he builds the tune part by part.
What to learn from Brock
Learn Jerusalem Ridge. It is a Monroe tune with four parts, a minor key, and a slow build, and it rewards careful playing. Learn one part a week, at a slow tempo, until each note is clean. Then play it with a fiddler and match their phrasing. Brock’s version shows that a tune played with care can hit harder than one played fast.
Sources
Jesse Brock, Wikipedia Authentic Unlimited, Wikipedia Mandolin Player of the Year, IBMA recipients by year
Related players
See the mandolin players hub and the mandolin guide. Brock played beside Michael Cleveland and now plays with Doyle Lawson’s former band members. Adam Steffey and Sierra Hull won the IBMA award in the years around his wins.