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A group of five session musicians who formed in 1987 in order to have a little fun, the Pirates of the Mississippi were one of a handful of country bands who emerged in the wake of the Kentucky Headhunters' success in the early '90s. The Pirates of the Mississippi didn't blend genres or joke around like the Kentucky Headhunters, yet they weren't smooth country-rock like Alabama. Instead, they were a straightforward country band, with hints of ragged enthusiasm and exceptional instrumental and vocal skills. Though the band wasn't able to capitalize on the success of their one big hit single, 1991's number 15 "Feed Jake," the group continued to record through the mid-'90s. All five members of the Pirates of the Mississippi -- Bill McCorvey (lead vocals, guitar), Rich Alves (guitar), Dean Townson (bass), Jimmy Lowe (drums), and Pat Severs (steel guitar) -- were Nashville session musicians during the '80s. In 1987, they began playing together regularly, usually in clubs around Nashville. ...