Jug Bands

Some months ago I found myself a CD on a flea market of the Memphis Jug Band.

It contains the music of that group made during the Depression. Times had changed so the music they made is differend from the late 1920s period. The tunes are more jazzy influenced and Pierce's virtuoso fiddle looks like white country music or Western Swing.
I like that kind of music more then the pure blues influenced 1920s stuff.

The Memphis Jug Band first records are from the late 1920s recorded by Victor. The 1932 recordings on this CD are by the Picaninny Jug Band on Champion, in fact the Memphis Jug Band. The CD ends with the last sessions of this marvelous group recorded for Okeh.

As a young adult I had a Joker LP of the Memphis Jug Band and while playing this CD I felt that same thrill as fourty years ago. Playing that kind of stuff, with my brother on guitar using the pots and pans of my mother, a selfmade kazoo and an empty bottle of beer. It brought us a lot of fun. Isn't that great !

Sometimes subjects for this blog exist on the spur of the moment and this morning I found a posting of Bruce on the 78-L list who points to a short of the Whistler's Jug band on internet. What a coincidence!

Thanks Bruce for this shot.

And what a great film. It must have been one of the last appearances of this group, popular in the 1920s, as this film contains one of their last 1931 recordings Foldin' Bed. What a great band, with a swinging Buford Threlkeld ( = Whistler) on the left playing and singing on the guitar. And what about the guy on the left? Where did he found that hat? We'll never know - fact is that he steals the show !

Enjoy this film:
Foldin' Bed by Whistler's Jug Band ( ca. June 1931)

Don't forget to visit our Choro blog spot filled with contributions of Choro expert Jørgen Larsen.