Many rural communities have a hobby tradition of whittling, which is how Shields Landon Jones started carving. Jones took to the hobby of whittling and in a short time excelled as a wood-carver, expanding his abilities to render a figure, increasing his scale, and incorporating pencil, stain, and paint to further realize his sculptured visages.

Jones carved and drew what he knew; in his community, he was an accomplished fiddler, so musicians are a frequent motif for this West Virginia artist. This Country Band includes five musicians (one is a fiddler that may be a self-portrait), small in scale, which might indicate that this is an early work by the artist. Partially unpainted, these miniature figures throw a strong and effective emotional punch. Varied postures and a multitude of glances and gazes help individualize members of this band. The unpainted male figure appears caught up in the music-making of his colleagues leaning forward, looking upward, transfixed by the sounds. These various postures and stances reinforce the individuality of each figure, but the achieved scale and surface treatment nonetheless keep the figures united as a group.

Brooke Davis Anderson, "Country Band of Five," exhibition label for Folk Art Revealed. Stacy C. Hollander and Brooke Davis Anderson, curators. New York: American Folk Art Museum, 2004.