Memphis Jug Band - Memphis Jug Band - 2 x 180g Vinyl LPs

The Memphis Jug Band, most active from 1926 into the 1950s, revolved around guitarist, harmonica player and singer Will Shade and featured a wide variety of instrumentation including harmonica, kazoo, fiddle, mandolin, guitar, piano, washboard and, of course, jug. They recorded more songs than any pre-war jug band and as a result, were key in developing the jug band tradition and format.

This Yazoo label collection has been the definitive release of Memphis Jug Band recordings for decades. This sampling is a fine document of the raw and irreverent music made by this historic, fun-loving jug band. The included recordings span 1927 to 1934, and less than half of the songs are found on the 2001 Best of the Memphis Jug Band. Whichever one is picked, anybody who is a fan of early blues needs to own a Memphis Jug Band release.

Joslyn Layne