Jug Band Music

Jug band music was originated by African Americans in the upper south, notably in Louisville and Memphis, in the early years of the twentieth century. The bands were characterized by the use of homemade or improvised instruments -- including jug, washboard, washtub bass, spoons, and kazoo -- along with guitars, banjos, fiddles, and even horns. There was considerable overlap between jug bands and blues, ragtime, and jazz, with performers such as Ma Rainey, Clarence Williams, and Memphis Minnie performing with both jug bands and more formal instrumentation.

The 1960s saw a revival of jug band music -- by Jim Kweskin and the Jug Band, the Even Dozen Jug Band (featuring John Sebastian), and Dave Van Ronk's Ragtime Jug Sompers -- often presented as a sort of rollicking, good time music that was not entirely faithful to the originals. Rock bands such as the Lovin' Spoonful and Grateful Dead also recorded tracks that were originally performed by Will Shade's Memphis Jug Band and Gus Cannon's Jug Stompers, among others.

The Grateful Dead recorded a too-long version of Gus Cannon's "Viola Lee Blues" on their first album.

"Fishin' Blues" was originally recorded by Henry Thomas, not by a jug band, but it was part of the jug band repertoire in the '60s.

The Memphis Jug Band's "KC Moan" was covered by the Grateful Dead and others in the '60s.

Ma Rainey recording with a jug band:

Memphis Minnie with the Memphis Jug Band:

Another Gus Cannon cut covered by the Grateful Dead:

Shortest version I could find:

"Blues in the Bottle" was a 1960s jug band staple:

"Stealin'" is another widely covered Memphis Jug Band song:

CCR's "Down on the Corner" is an appreciation of jug bands, with lyrics featuring Rooster on the washboard, Blinky on the gut base, and Willy on kazoo. This clip is surely in the running for most embarrassing lip sync of all time:

Clarence Williams, who accompanied and did arrangements for Bessie Smith, also performed and recorded with a Washboard Band:

 

Comments

[David Rosenfeld]

Steve,
Another one for you: "Mother McCree's Uptown Jug Champions" was an early precursor (circa 1964) of what became the Grateful Dead and featured Garcia, Weir and Pigpen. I think some tapes of their early performances were released as an album about 25 years ago.

[SL]

Good suggestion, David. Here is a clip: https://youtu.be/iQIFfrucUr4

[Ken Colyer]

The jug band music of the 1920's in America enjoyed a revival in England in the 1950's and early '60's where it was known as "skiffle"

Here is a performance by Lonnie Donegan, one of the early proponents of British skiffle:

https://youtu.be/Bdb3TgOI6pQ

[anon]

Another lively conversation about law, culture, and academia, i.e., the music of Lubet's youth in Berkeley sixty or so years ago.
Nothing else may be discussed on this once vibrant, relevant and interactive website.
You may not even be able to read this comment!

[SL]

Thanks, Ken. I did a Lonnie Donegan post in 2018: https://www.thefacultylounge.org/2018/06/lonnie-donegan.html

[baby anon]

anon +100!

[Red State Kulander]

Mungo Jerry's "In the Summertime"

[SL]

Good one, Red State.

And let's not forget, dear to my heart for obvious reasons, "The Eggplant That Ate Chicago," by Dr. West's Medicine Show and Junk Band:

https://youtu.be/Db8LxhzAml0

This song is a good example, as I mentioned in the post, of turning the original jug band music, which was often quite serious, into good-timey, light-hearted songs, with informal instruments as the common feature.

What I hadn't known about "Eggplant" is that the songwriter and lead vocalist was Norman Greenbaum -- later best known for "Spirit in the Sky" -- and it was published by Borsht Music.

[Howard Wasserman]

Most important: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eFJ2jxIe4CQ

[J]

Acc to various sources, “The Even Dozen Jug Band was founded in 1963 by Stefan Grossman (solo country blues and ragtime guitarist) and Peter Siegel (roots-based guitarist and producer) in New York City. Other members were David Grisman (noted mandolinist), Steve Katz (later with Blues Project and Blood, Sweat and Tears), Maria D'Amato, Joshua Rifkin (arranger of Scott Joplin ragtime compositions,), and John Sebastian (later with the Lovin' Spoonful).
They only recorded one album in 1963. D’Amato then joined the Kweskin band (with Fritz Richmond (jug & washtub bass), Geoff Muldaur (guitar), Bob Siggins (neuroscientist and founding member of the Charles River Valley Boys, The Mother Bay State Entertainers and Kweskin’s Jug Band), the unique(ha) Mel Lyman (harmonica) and the mysterious Bruno Wolfe (?David Simon?). Try and listen to The Lyman Family with the Muldaurs as guests: "People Get Ready (There's A Train That's Coming"

[anon]

A Mighty Wind.