| Recommended
listening: |
The Great Jug Bands
Origin Jazz Library
More of that Jug Band Sound
Origin Jazz Library
Jug, Jook and Washboard Bands
Blues Classics
The Memphis Jug Band
Greatest Hits
Jim Kweskin and The Jug Band Greatest Hits
Nashville Jug Band
Cannon's Jug Stompers
The Complete Works
Good Time Blues: Harmonicas, Kazoos, Washboards
and Cowbells,
Washboard Sam
Rockin' My Blues Away
Beat It, Blow It, Strum It, Hum It, The Sunshine
Skiffle Band
Flying Fish Records
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What is Jug Band Music?
First of all, to get a good understanding of what jug band music
is, it's good to start out with what jug band music isn't. Jug
band music is not hillbilly, bluegrass, country or anything
you’d see on Hee-Haw, despite a common misconception.
The unique musical form known as jug band music had its beginnings
in the United States among southern black musicians during
the 1920's. The centers of musical activity were river port
towns such as Memphis and New Orleans, where these musicians
formed loosely-knit groups to entertain in the many speakeasies
and dance halls that thrived in these cities.
While the backbone of the jug band sound was the blues, the
repertoires of these bands were culled from a wide variety
of musical styles including country dance, string band, ragtime,
jazz and popular music. These songs often had a light-hearted,
comical, ribald flavor.
In addition to playing standard blues instruments like the
guitar and harmonica, jug band musicians made use of instruments
more commonly associated with country string band music, like
the fiddle, banjo and mandolin. But, the cardinal feature
of this music (and the origin of the name "jug band")
was the use of a variety of homemade instruments to produce
unusual melodic and rhythmic colorings. These instruments
included the kazoo, washboard, washtub bass, spoons, jews
harp, and, of course, the empty whiskey jug. The best of these
original jug bands were the Memphis Jug Band, led by Will
Shade, and Gus Cannon's Jug Stompers.
The initial jug band "renaissance" came to a rapid
end during the 1930's, corresponding to the decline of the
American economy at that time. During the folk music revival
of the 1960's, jug band music made a comeback in popularity
when a number of jug bands appeared on the scene. Among these
bands was the Jim Kweskin Jug Band, which took the music to
new heights of sophistication.
