Memphis Jug Band

The Memphis Jug Band was an American musical group active from the mid-1920s to the late-1950s.[1] The band featured harmonica, kazoo, fiddle and mandolin or banjolin, backed by guitar, piano, washboard, washtub bass and jug. They played slow blues, pop songs, humorous songs and upbeat dance numbers with jazz and string band flavors. The band made the first commercial recordings in Memphis, Tennessee, and recorded more sides than any other prewar jug band.[2]

Beginning in 1926, African-American musicians in the Memphis area grouped around the singer, songwriter, guitarist, and harmonica player Will Shade (also known as Son Brimmer or Sun Brimmer). The personnel of the band varied from day to day, with Shade booking gigs and arranging recording sessions.[3] The band was as a training ground for musicians who would go on to make careers of their own.[4]

  1. ^ Charters, Samuel (1991). The Blues Makers. Da Capo Press. Part II, page 25. ISBN 0-306-80438-7.
  2. ^ Dixon, Robert M.W.; Godrich, John; and Rye, Howard (1997). Blues & Gospel Records 1890–1943. 4th ed. p. 611. ISBN 978-0-19-816239-1.
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference Devil was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ Oliver, Paul, ed. (1989). The Blackwell Guide to Recorded Blues. Cambridge, Mass.: Blackwell. p. 45. ISBN 0-631-18301-9.