Bassist Jimbo Hart Leaves Jason Isbell’s 400 Unit
One of the long-time members of Jason Isbell’s backing band The 400 Unit has officially left the outfit. Bassist Jimbo Hart has been part of the 400 Unit since the official formation of the band after Isbell left the Drive-By Truckers, but Jimbo took a hiatus earlier this year citing mental health concerns. Now he’s announced that he is officially no longer a member.
On June 4th, Jimbo Hart said via social media, “Hey y’all, you won’t see me for the first week of this next tour. I’m taking some time to take care of my mental health and resolve some old-school traumas. Thank you, Jason Isbell for giving me the grace and space to allow this process.”
Fans noticed that even after the initial absence, Jimbo did not return. Bass players Anna Butterss, Dominic John Davis, and Cat Popper have been filling in during the interim.
Then on November 27th, Jimbo Hart confirmed, “I’m no longer a member of the 400 Unit. I’m grateful for all the years, all the faces I’ve played for in the course of the band’s history and proud of all we accomplished. I’m happy to be moving forward into a new chapter of life and open to all possibilities, as they may arise.”
Jason Isbell said in a statement on November 28th, “I love Jimbo and I’ll miss touring and playing with him. Very glad he’s taking care of himself. Everything else anybody needs to know is in the statement he released.”
Originally from Sheffield, Alabama near Muscle Shoals, Jimbo Hart was recruited by Jason Isbell out of the Rolodex of the region’s world famous studios. Hart appeared on the eponymous Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit in 2009, and has appeared on every 400 Unit album since, racking up four Grammy Awards, and multiple nominations for the band’s 2023 album Weathervanes.
Hart has also appeared on albums from Drayton Farley, Morgan Wade, The Bahamas, Josh Ritter, and fellow 400 Unit members Sadler Vaden and Amanda Shires, among others.
A recent press photo of Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit featured bassist Anna Butterss with the band, leading to speculation that she will be the permanent fill-in. From Australia, she has also played with Phoebe Bridgers, Jenny Lewis, Madison Cunningham, Bright Eyes and Aimee Mann over the years. Butterss also performed during Isbell’s recent appearance on Austin City Limits.
The 400 Unit has also been featuring Will Johnson on the backline recently playing acoustic guitar and drums/percussion. Johnson was previously the lead singer of the Denton, TX-based band Centro-matic.
The 400 Unit is named after the psychiatric ward of Eliza Coffee Memorial Hospital in Florence, Alabama, which has since been renamed the Behavioral Health Center.
November 28, 2023 @ 8:44 am
brace yourselves. incoming irrational comments and speculation from a certain crowd.
November 28, 2023 @ 9:19 am
Sounds like you’re the first one on here to speculate anything.
November 28, 2023 @ 11:15 am
Turns out he was right… See below…
November 28, 2023 @ 7:41 pm
thegentile identities as it/they/them/xyr
November 28, 2023 @ 8:56 pm
Grow Up.
November 29, 2023 @ 7:10 am
i’ll identify as whatever you want me to, big boy 😉
you’re such an alpha! swoon!
November 28, 2023 @ 12:18 pm
i was speculating? you must either be new here or not know what speculate means.
November 28, 2023 @ 1:45 pm
I mean, technically, since it was the first comment, it might be considered to meet the actual definition of “speculating,” but yeah, based on the history here, you knew what you were talking about and you were right.
November 28, 2023 @ 8:45 am
Because Isbell started primarily playing stuffy, seated venues, I went 7 1/2 years without seeing him in concert (March 2016 – September 2023) until he headlined one night of Healing Appalachia. I was very impressed with Anna Butterss. I think she’s better suited for Isbell’s evolved sound.
November 30, 2023 @ 3:33 am
Is Anna the one who dresses like a hooker and plays violin?
November 30, 2023 @ 9:22 am
savingcountrymusic.com everybody! where trig’s moderation let’s you call a woman a hooker and rank them by race but threatens to shut down the thread if you call any of it out.
truly a utopia.
November 30, 2023 @ 2:20 pm
To be fair, he said she dresses like a hooker, not that she is a hooker.
November 30, 2023 @ 5:23 pm
Trigger can run his/this website however he wants. He owns and operates it and as such, should be able to do as he pleases. I just wish he would come out and say he doesn’t have the capacity to moderate comments. Which is completely fair/ & justified in my book. Content moderation is very hard, very time consuming, and very unpopular.
The faux-Libertarian talking points about “censorship” or “all voices” just rings hollow to me and feels more like someone OD’ing on their own supply.
Just like Elon or Google/YouTube or Zuck hide behind “free speech” because moderating speech is really hard, really expensive, and really unpopular, it feels like a smoke screen. But what do I know…
December 1, 2023 @ 7:07 am
He has no problem moderating. He does it all the time, any time a racist or sexist comment is called out, he steps in to try to silence the criticism, but is silent on the actual bigotry in question.
December 14, 2023 @ 9:16 pm
If you are speaking about Amanda Shires it is obvious that you haven’t the slightest appreciation for talent which has zero to do with appearance. From most of the comments here it appears that you and others are reflecting on Jason’s political leanings. One can appreciate art without agreeing with the artists politics. A person can appreciate Picasso even though he was a communist. Would you cancel Theodore Geisel (Dr. Seuss) for the underlying racism in his artwork? How about canceling Ted Nugent for his admitted pedophilia. Amanda Shires is an extremely talented singer/songwriter and Grammy award winning multi instrumentalist.
February 24, 2024 @ 1:51 am
…asks the Creton misogynist
November 28, 2023 @ 9:02 am
Hated seeing that. Don’t want to speculate, but also seems easy to read between the lines there based on Hart’s comments – including a tweet not quoted here. Feel like the last thing I saw him in was Drayton Farley’s OurVinyl taping, but there’s no telling when that thing was actually recorded.
Just sad for him career wise, entire group seems to be hitting a new stride with Yoko out of the creatives.
November 28, 2023 @ 10:33 am
Amanda “Yoko” Shires.
November 28, 2023 @ 9:22 am
It’s not the same without Jimbo. He will be missed. Jimbo’s absence notwithstanding, Anna is a fine musician.
November 28, 2023 @ 9:36 am
What’s the over/under on when Jason and Amanda announce a Coldplay singer and Gwyneth Paltrow “consciously uncouple” split?
Jason’s got too big for his britches!
November 28, 2023 @ 9:43 am
I don’t know the skills of any of these bassists, but how do you not hire Cat Popper based on their name alone!?
November 28, 2023 @ 10:28 am
Can’t blame him Don’t know how he could have stood that prick for so long
November 28, 2023 @ 4:34 pm
Glad someone said it. I find him to be an insufferable ass on the infrequent occasions I see something about him on Twitter. Kinda ruined the listening experience for me. Can’t imaging touring with im.
November 30, 2023 @ 3:12 pm
Jimbo probably OD’d on sanctimony.
November 28, 2023 @ 10:28 am
“Open to all possibilities” says a hell of a lot in 4 words.
November 28, 2023 @ 10:46 am
I believe Jaaon ended up couch surfing at Jimbos when he departed the Drive-by Truckers. It sucks he won’t be there when I see them in February but I hope he lands on his feet and stays in music.
November 28, 2023 @ 10:51 am
Working with Isbell would be taxing on anyone’s mental health.
November 28, 2023 @ 2:07 pm
Yes it’s Isbell, not the fact that he was sexually abused as a kid.
November 29, 2023 @ 10:44 pm
Why not both?
November 28, 2023 @ 10:53 am
There has to be truth to a lot of the negative things people have posted on all the socials about the fall out and Jason’s toxic behavior, especially towards Jimbo’s exit. It was also mentioned Jimbo being very supportive to Justin Townes Earle’s widow amidst the release of the song, and him seeming to take issue with being a part of a song like that. Jason made a once close friends death all about him. Jason sure has a lot of “once close friends”.
November 28, 2023 @ 11:28 am
Maybe he’s just that perfect and has really high standards for who he associates with. Or maybe it’s all overcompensation for something. I know where I’d put my money…
November 29, 2023 @ 8:01 am
Ryan Adams felt betrayed by Jason when his scandal got out. I’m not defending Ryan or his behavior, but during that he made some comment directed towards Jason about how Jason should thank him for not sharing all he knows about him and his antics. His first wife (Shawna?) was abused by him and obviously still suffers from ptsd from that marriage. Amanda came out in that hbo doc saying she didn’t like cover me up because he sings about sexually abusing her. What’s grosser is him seeming to think his song was romantic and he didn’t see anything wrong with him possibly raping her in Virginia and then blaming it on being drunk. I bet he has a huge history of abusing women in his closet just waiting to pour out.
November 30, 2023 @ 2:28 pm
I think Isbell is a douche like anyone else, but it’s a stretch to say he “possibly raped” her in Virginia because of a song lyric. Let his personal shortcomings speak for themselves, don’t make stuff up.
November 30, 2023 @ 5:24 pm
I for one, completely take the incoherent ramblings of an internet troll with a name like “NoHartLikeJimbo” 100% seriously.
Can’t think of a more reputable source on the face of the planet.
December 1, 2023 @ 8:20 am
Hi Willa
December 1, 2023 @ 9:05 am
Hey Jason and team (aka Kingkongdingdong)! I’m not sure why you think I’m writing any negative comments about you on the internet. Also not sure how it helps your cause to say hi to me under the occasional post (I know of 2, anyways). Might as well just co-sign on whatever post you think I wrote as fact. Lots of negative things being said, so I’m sorry you’re dealing with that. I’ll let Jimbo know you said hi.
November 28, 2023 @ 11:01 am
If the band officially formed in 2008, then who was in the Isbell 400 Unit when they played a Chicago street festival in June 2007, opening for Heartless Bastards?
November 28, 2023 @ 1:30 pm
The earliest reference I knew of with The 400 Unit was 2008, but Isbell could have been using that name before I guess. I corrected the date there to make it more ambiguous. It was formed after he left the Drive-By Truckers. I believe Jimbo was there from the very beginning.
November 28, 2023 @ 3:22 pm
he hadn’t released Sirens yet, so I have no idea what the set list was, probably DBT and other covers?
November 29, 2023 @ 9:10 am
Jimbo helped cofound the 400U. Jason asked him to start a band with him and Jimbo helped pick every member that came in since day 1. There would be no 400U without Jimbo, and Jason wouldn’t have some of his songs without him either from stealing bits of Jimbo’s life story, like he does with everyone he knows. He’s a leach. Ya know he always told that story about staying at Jimbo’s and Jimbo telling him, “what’s mine is yours”? Jason then just went, “mine, mine, mine” because he is an entitled narcissist.
November 30, 2023 @ 5:31 pm
I’m gonna leave out the bits that are just incoherent babble, but your criticism that he “wrote songs about other people’s lives” might be the dumbest thing in this comment section. And buddy, let me tell you that is a freaking feat.
Damn near every songwriter has admitted they take stories or parts of other peoples lives and weave them into their songs. If you don’t like that Jason Isbell may have heard someone else talk about some moment of their life, then took that and wrote a song from it….well…I hate to tell you this, but you might not want to listen to music anymore cause pretty much every songwriter on the planet has done the exact same thing 100 times over.
But, I suspect you know that. But because Jason Isbell is a pompous ass at times (no argument from me) or you don’t like the way he votes, you have decided that your gonna s-talk him on an internet message board.
Congrats. Truly an accomplishment work drinking about and an amazing use of your precious time on the planet.
December 1, 2023 @ 4:43 pm
Isbell isn’t going to sleep with you, Mike W.
But keep trying!
November 28, 2023 @ 11:03 am
If Jason Isbell were true to his word he would make sure that DEI were included in his choice to fill that spot
Anything short of a trans person of color is truly not acceptable based on his need to virtue signal
November 28, 2023 @ 2:14 pm
They/them on Instagram profile. I guess that counts.
November 28, 2023 @ 2:25 pm
according to some of the commenters here, heterosexual white men are the most marginalized in today’s society. so his quota is good, but it could be better!
November 28, 2023 @ 4:00 pm
How much effort does it take to be this stupid?
Like, is it a natural talent or do you have to practice it? Did you take a special class in being a complete idiot?
November 28, 2023 @ 11:53 am
This comment section is going exactly as expected. Sad bunch of people.
November 28, 2023 @ 6:12 pm
Truth hurts your feeling, huh? ????
November 30, 2023 @ 5:38 pm
Great retort.
November 28, 2023 @ 6:21 pm
More like Himbo, cuz he can’t stand Isbell’s woke nonsense.
Seriously though, I come here for the music, but this site seems to have taken a hard right turn recently. And similar hard turn away from “saving country music”.
Am I a liberal? Maybe, depending on how you define it. Progressive? Absolutely not.
I’m more conservative, at least outwardly, than most people I know (for instance, any time there’s a problem I don’t immediately think the federal government should do something about it without actually, you know, thinking about it).
I’m American made by my ma and pa, southern born by the grace of god.
But good grief, this site is truly up Jason Aldean’s arse, just don’t tell Trig the truth, don’t tell Trig the truth…
November 28, 2023 @ 7:12 pm
There is nothing “hard right” about this article. In fact, Jason Isbell has made his music so synonymous with politics, simply reporting on one of his band members leaving or anything else could be considered a political act on the left. Jimbo Hart is an important part of our musical community, and I deemed his departure from The 400 Unit as newsworthy. Politics was not broached here at all.
Jason Isbell’s last album received an 8.8 score here, and will be nominated for Saving Country Music 2023 Album of the Year within the week. Jason Aldean’s last album hasn’t even been reviewed here. So to say this site is “up Jason Aldean’s arse” makes no sense. The last time I wrote about him, it was criticizing his tour with Kid Rock as a clear curation of right wing artists that unnecessarily politicizes the music.
https://savingcountrymusic.com/on-this-kid-rock-jason-aldean-miranda-lambert-festival-tour/
Unfortunately, Jason Isbell has created an adversarial environment when it comes to any conversation about his music by alienating his own fans through bullying them online while also giving off a high and mighty attitude. This is the reason I have criticized Isbell’s public persona, because it’s not only limiting his fan base, but creating a lot of the acrimony you see in this very comments section. I agree that these comments are ugly, but so are many of Isbell’s. That is why I wish he would see how he’s hurting his own message.
I also want to point out that YOU are part of this comments section. So is Interstate Daydreamer, so is The Gentile and others. There are people on the left who regularly comment on this site as well.
But the comments are just the comments. I wish more people were talking about Jimbo and his contributions to music. But this is an open forum, and I don’t try and control the direction of the discussion. Nor do I endorse it. It is what it is. It’s the opportunity for readers to share THEIR opinions. If you see opinions you don’t like, challenge them. Share your opinion. But the commenters ultimately represent themselves, not this website.
November 28, 2023 @ 8:07 pm
Well…I said the site was up Aldean’s arse in part so I could reference the song The Truth.
Also, it does seem like the site has become more of a culture war battleground. And it does seem like it has attracted certain types of people while alienating others. And that this is in part due to the role you play. And that it has most importantly made it less about the music.
November 28, 2023 @ 8:14 pm
Life has become more of a culture war battleground. This is a dry news story about the departure of a bass player from Jason Isbell’s band. It’s others that have unfortunately brought the culture war to it.
November 28, 2023 @ 8:26 pm
Well…you brought Isbell’s politics into it in your comment. I don’t give a crud about Isbell’s politics.
I wasn’t going to make this comment under the Dolly Parton post with 200+ comments and seemingly thousands of antivax nutjobs.
November 29, 2023 @ 9:19 am
Complains about politics. Calls people with a reasonable take on an experimental vaccine nutjobs.
Hypocrisy, thine name is JB.
November 29, 2023 @ 12:24 pm
That’s the problem. The culture wars have disturbed too many of us. The DEI muppets have done severe and long lasting damage to my teenager. It’s hard not to get political on here sometimes, but I try not to.
Staying off social media helps me enjoy musicians like JI who would otherwise get under my skin.
November 30, 2023 @ 7:07 am
they done woked my teenager
November 30, 2023 @ 7:51 pm
You have no idea what you are talking about, yet you mock me. Why?
November 30, 2023 @ 5:37 pm
Yep, your teenager won’t talk to you because of the culture wars and not because they are a freaking teenager.
Passes every logic test known to man.
November 30, 2023 @ 7:52 pm
It’s interesting rhetoric to use a strawman fallacy and then accuse someone else of not using logic. And it only took you two sentences!
November 28, 2023 @ 8:14 pm
Art can be seperate from the artist. Even when I want to be political I don’t judge people and their beliefs the same when it was in the 2000’s. I still like a lot of Isbell’s music but I steer clear of his twitter.
And I believe a lot of the anti-Isbell comments here are to rile up those of you who hate it. Your ire is fueling it.
November 28, 2023 @ 11:52 pm
Isbell has a habit of marrying the females in his band.
November 29, 2023 @ 3:38 am
I did not know that.
Better than if he had a habit of marrying the males in his band. Oom papa mow mow!
November 29, 2023 @ 7:13 am
he was married to shonna tucker before she was in the band.
November 29, 2023 @ 8:49 am
Same with Amanda – she didn’t join the 400 Unit until 2013.
November 30, 2023 @ 2:37 pm
So he has a habit of putting his wife in the band. That’s worse.
November 29, 2023 @ 8:43 am
The Harvey Weinstein of Americana.
November 29, 2023 @ 11:41 am
What a stupid comment.
November 29, 2023 @ 2:36 am
This sites great for discovering new artists and bands but its obvious with the history trigger has of attacjking Jason Isbell why Jimbo Hart leaving the band has been posted here its obvious from some of the comments on here that the I hate Jason Isbell even though I dont actually know him personally are going to go to town on him again.
Ive discovered too many new bands and musical higlights from this site not to visit but Ill be ignoring any “news” relating on Jason Isbell when its posted here again and given how much this guys got it in for Jason it will happen again.
Well done for bringing politics into music Jason , In the same way that some of Dylans early political songs are still totally relevent now so are yours. Keep on keeping on.
November 29, 2023 @ 9:28 am
When Kyle Ponder left Mike and the Moonpies, I wrote a news article about it. When Laura Jane left Flatland Cavalry, I wrote a news article about it. When folks have left American Aquarium, Reckless Kelly, Robert Earl Keen’s band, and so on and so forth, I have written articles about it. The 400 Unit is arguably the most important band in Americana, and Jimbo’s departure is newsworthy. I agree it is unfortunate that people on BOTH sides of the political divide have decided to make this news political, but this is not a political story.
I have never “attacked” Jason Isbell. Observing the melee that ensues any time his name is merely mentioned (see this comments section), I have attempted to dispassionately explain how he is hurting his music and the causes he purports to champion with his very combative attitude towards people online that ultimately get reciprocated back to him, unnecessarily polarizing the music as we see illustrated here.
A dozen other outlets reported on this story as well. Were they attacking Jason Isbell too? In fact, I was the last to report on it, because I wanted to get a statement from Isbell first, which he didn’t issue until Tuesday.
November 29, 2023 @ 6:15 pm
It’s insane the reaches people take when things are posted that involve certain people. I admire your ability to keep doing what you’re doing because it’s great work despite the insanity involved with it.
November 30, 2023 @ 3:17 pm
Wow, a simple story about someone leaving the band and the comment section goes wild.
You could probably post an article that just said “Jason Isbell” and nothing else and get 50 comments. I don’t get it. Like him or don’t like him but why get so wrapped up in it?
November 30, 2023 @ 5:18 pm
In general, people are very stupid.
Now, distill that down to people who carve time out of their lives to irrationally comment on a certain band/artists story due only to their political beliefs?
Well, that is the kind of stupid strong enough to make you go blind.
November 29, 2023 @ 3:32 am
I’m impressed at the significance of who plays bass behind Jason Isbell. I had no idea that it was that important or followed by so many people
This sounds like the most momentous change in a country music line-up since Steve Sanders replaced William Golden in the Oak Ridge Boys. Or since Willam Golden replaced Steve Sanders. Monongahela!
November 29, 2023 @ 7:19 am
Or since Mark Herndon was declared a “nonperson” by Randy Owen?
November 29, 2023 @ 10:53 am
I’ve never bought an Oak Ridge boys album/LP/CD or seen them in person, but now that they’re all 75-plus and on their last go-round I’ve got a sudden urge to see them off. Foxwoods, Conn. or Lancaster, Pa. in March ’24 look like the closest theyll get to the NYC metro area.
November 30, 2023 @ 8:37 am
I saw them sing the national anthem at an Oakland A’s game more than 30 years ago. They got a solid 10 minutes standing ovation. And I realized the national anthem never sounds right sung by a single voice. It should always be done in harmony.
November 29, 2023 @ 8:51 am
Jimbo is very, very good.
November 29, 2023 @ 5:15 am
Wouldn’t it be great if just one of the comments sections under an Isbell article could avoid become a total dumpster fire… Some of y’all need to get out and touch grass.
Anyway, I hope Jimbo can figure out whatever it is he’s working through. He’ll be a loss to the 400 Unit imo.
November 29, 2023 @ 8:41 am
If Isbell doesn’t want comment sections to be dumpster fires, he should stop tossing people out like trash and setting them on fire with his bitterness. He talks real pretty, but there’s no real substance. Jimbo appears to be on a path of peace and that’s not Jason. I think his way of thinking that seems very Buddhist forward doesn’t inline with Jason’s hate anymore. I think that’s what this is about more than anything is Jimbo’s values vs Jason’s toxic ways. One thing for sure, 400U will never sound the same or rock as hard. Jimbo was the only rockin’ part of that band. Jason wants a rock band and lost the one person who made his band rock. Now it’s just soft jazz country rock mess.
November 29, 2023 @ 8:52 am
I don’t care what Isbell wants, and I don’t care what he thinks. I do, however, like the records he makes.
100% agree Jimbo will be missed.
November 30, 2023 @ 8:27 am
I went to see Isbell for probably the 10th time a few months ago and it was the hardest rocking show of his I’ve ever seen.
November 30, 2023 @ 5:16 pm
With a username like yours, I don’t know how anyone could accuse you of bias!
December 4, 2023 @ 10:03 am
Sadler knows very well how to rock. Dude played with Drivin N Cryin. Kevn Kinney rocks harder than just about anyone over the last three and a half decades.