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Classic Vinyl

With Allan Day

JUG/JOOK & WASHBOARD BANDS FROM THE 1920'S

Tuesday, January 20, 2009

Great Jug Bands Album
 Historical Record Label Jug/Jook & Washboard Album Classic Album Label Jug Stompers Album Yazoo Album Label

Now I know I have loved the Blues ever since I first heard The Stones doing cover versions of Howlin Wolf, Muddy Waters---the R & B sounds of Bobby Troupe, Chuck Berry, Solomon Burke---the mid 50's and thru the 60's I was well versed with the blues music available to me---but where did the Chess Musicians get their knowledge from? What was being played in the 20's and 30's when the big band era was supplying the White audience demand.

I recently came into a great selection of Blues Recordings that included some early material that I think has answered my question. I was pleasantly surprised to even find some youtubes available on this great style of early blues. I hope you enjoy this week's column on The Jug, Jook, And Washboard Bands.

In the 1920's, jug bands appeared in Louisville, Memphis and all over the South---Jug bands were playing in the streets, neighbourhood parties and beer joints. The Street band youngsters would play anything that would give out some kind of sound---kazoos, washboards, tin cans, empty bottles, washtubs etc. Regular instruments were too expensive and too hard to play. Recordings of them were made in Dallas, Memphis, Hattiesburg, Chicago and North Carolina. But on the scale of recordings done later, there is really very little coverage of all the bands that were playing during this time.

The jug bands as such, were one offspring of this music which might best be called jook music, or jook bands. Many of the musicians involved had played the medicine shows and were touring entertainers--many were country dance musicians who had come to the cities and were trying to please the public with novel and unique sounds. Such groups were at times called "hamfat" "jook" or even "skiffle bands" they would play every type of music, blues/country, minstrel show numbers, jazz, waltzes, whatever was popular at the time. White audiences supplied most of their income and therefore, the bands would aim to please them and learn the songs of the day.

It was fine dance music that had a wide appeal---it was novel--entertaining and most of the groups had an act worked out with their performance. It was incredibly happy sounding, with drive and vitality and a good supply of washboard beating and jug blowing blending with country fiddles, guitars, harmonicas, spoons and other assorted instruments.

Some of the great Jug/Jook Washboard Bands of the day were Memphis Jug Band--Ed Kelly's Washboard Band--Birmingham Jug Band--Mississippi Jook Band--Cannon's Jud Stompers--Dixieland Jug Blowers--Dallas Jamboree Jug Band--Chasey Collins Washboard Band and the Washboard Rhythm Kings----Hope you can search out some of the above bands and sit back and enjoy the simple sounds that were recorded way back then.

This weeks youtubes are a great sampling of Jug/Jook, & Washboard Bands--The Memphis Jug Band "K.C. Moan http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AIgiyi1YA3o Cannon's Jug Stompers "Big Railroad Blues" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3JULZ9xlOuw&feat...ure=related Whistler's Jug Band "Foldin' Bed" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rwo6HVTacYs&feat...ure=related and Eddie Thomas & Carl Scott "My Ohio Home" recorded in 1929 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CtCbbKmHano&feat...ure=related

Hope you enjoyed this weeks column and see you in 2 weeks---contact me at bluesslider88@yahoo.ca or at cktimes with any comments you would like to make about classic vinyl



Allan Day----long time acquaintance of John Gardiner----I presently live in Goderich Ontario, retired (oh yeah) and live for the sound of music, especially from the 60's music explosion---I hope you enjoy some of my articles and they bring back some lost memories of bands gone by. Now I have to let you know that I am a HUGE Rolling Stones fan, collector, historian and I hope to hear any stories you might have on this GREAT Band from the 60's----email me at CK Times and let me know what you have or memories you have of this group. I will include stories and short stories on The Stones each week.