The Ragtime Willi Band got its start in the spring of 1977 when the backup players for Bob & Debbie Sue & the Sunny Southerners - Jim Penta on harmonica, Irv Rathman on fiddle and mandolin, and Jack Roberts on bass - took over after Bob & Debbie Sue headed south to sunnier climes. Over the years, other players have come and gone, but Jim & Jack are still playing out with a little - make that a lot - of help from their friends, Joel Henry on banjo and David Hinkel on guitar.