CD-Charts Position 1
Average Rating:

Memphis Jug Band with Gus Cannon's Jug Stompers

by: Memphis Jug Band, Gus Cannon's Jug Stompers

Release Date April 19, 2005
This music has always had a special place in my heart, and as an Americana gospel performer, I go back to this style much in playing for church and coffeehouse gigs. If you want to go mining for good solid tunes to play, go here or buy Harry Smith's Anthology of Folk Music. It is one of maybe 10 sources for evidence in a course I would call Americana 101. Unlike Louis Armstrong, who was making a big town name for jazz and blues at the time, this is the street music played in the rural South and Memphis.
It is hard not to smile when you hear this wobbly stuff...

CD-Charts Position 2
Average Rating:

Violin, Sing the Blues for Me: African-American Fiddlers 1926-1949

by: Lonnie Johnson, Howard Armstrong, Mississippi Sheiks, Memphis Jug Band, Will Batts, Andrew Baxter, Jim Baxter, Tommie Bradley, James Cole, Louie Bluie, Whistler's Jug Band

Release Date August 24, 1999
Inspired by my recent review of Sam Ku West's cd of Hawaiian steel guitar from 1927 and '28, and his version of Memphis Blues contained therein, I decided I need to review this disc which contains a killer Memphis Blues by the Mobile Strugglers.

What you get here is a very fine collection of mostly pre-war fiddle musics, covering a wide range of styles and abilities. From the abysmal toned, a-rhythmic atrocity of Alma Waltz (the very rare bad track) by the Mississippi Mudsteppers at the low end of the spectrum, to the bluesy drawl of Broonzy's fiddle, all the way up to the utter brilliance of the great Lonnie Johnson.

Still, the lesser-knowns are what this is about. Sure the titles of this and the "Folks, He..." disc ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 3
Average Rating:

The Best of the Memphis Jug Band

by: Memphis Jug Band

Release Date June 12, 2001
Wow. This is quite possibly the most fun, most raucous collection of field recordings I've heard in my life. Sure, I love the (usually) more somber works of folks like Leadbelly and Mississippi John Hurt, but the Memphis Jug Band rock out! The jug is used to great effect... its limitations as a pseudo-instrument are constantly transcended on this set. It sounds awesome, as does the frequent use of kazoo.
The Memphis Jug Band is totally punk rock! Check out "Cocaine Habit Blues"... any ignorant pop dork who thinks that the Velvet Underground invented "dark" drug songs needs to listen to this song (not to mention a million others from this era) and get schooled. I've never done drugs in my life, but that doesn't make this song any less awesome. ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 4
Average Rating:

Folks, He Sure Do Pull Some Bow! Vintage Fiddle Music 1927-1935: Blues, Jazz, Stomps, Shuffles & Rags

by: Big Bill Broonzy, Charlie Pierce, Andrew Baxter, Clifford Hayes, Bubbling-Over Five, Memphis Jug Band, Mississippi Sheiks, Peg Leg Howell, Frank Stokes, Big Joe Williams, Agusto Abreu

Release Date March 27, 2001
Old Hat Records always goes the extra mile to present incredibly rare sides from vintage 78s. The sound quality is top-notch, and the generous booklet is packed with equally rare photography, highly-informative notes and thorough documentation.

There are lots of reissues of early recordings, but all the offerings from Old Hat are head and shoulders above the rest.

Sure, the pirates of the world can probably find this material in MP3 format, but despicable thievery aside, they're missing out on the complete package. The music combined with the ample booklet is the true prize. The true value is owning this release, holding it in your hand: listening, reading, viewing the rare photos.

Whether you're a hard-core collector ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 5
Average Rating:

Pure Vintage Blues: Future Blues

by: Garfield Akers, Willie Brown, Joe Callicot, Kid Bailey, Memphis Jug Band, Furry Lewis, Blind Leroy Garnett

Release Date June 30, 2000
Pure Vintage Blues - "Future Blues"
Empress (label) (U.K.) Catalogue # RAJCD 887


over 65 minutes long...original recordings, tracks & artists
Tracks:
1. Dough Roller Blues - Arfield Akers (Vocal/Guitar)
2. Future Blues - Willie Brown (Vocal/Guitar)
3. Travelling Mama Blues - Joe Callicot (Vocal/Guitar)
4. M And O Blues - Willie Brown (Vocal/Guitar)
5. Mississippi Bottom Blues - Kid Bailey
6. My Black Mama - Son House
7. Cottonfield Blues - Garfield Akers (Vocal/Guitar) & Joe Callicot
8. Rowdy Blues - Kid Bailey
9. Sun Brimmers Blues - Memphis Jug Band
10. Evil Woman Blues - James "Boodle It" Wiggins & Bob Call (Piano)
11. Walking Blues - Raymond Barrow ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 6
Average Rating:

Memphis Jug Band

by: Memphis Jug Band

Release Date July 01, 1991
Not much I can do here except to echo the two very right-on reviews below. This is some of the loosest, groovingest, exuberant music ever. I never tire of these guys. Seriously recommended is their entire output available on the Document label. And as a reviewer below stated, Cannon's Jug Stompers are also essential. And Jack Kelly'sSouth Memphis Jug Band too. Anything else I say will be redundant-- the other reviews say it all. Now quit wasting time reading this and ORDER some of their music NOW!

CD-Charts Position 7
Average Rating:

Complete Recorded Works (1932-1934)

by: Memphis Jug Band

Release Date January 10, 1996
How could a collection of Memphis Jug Band cuts be anything but great? Add in the pieces by the Picaninny Jug Band and you got yourself a document. Note to the person waiting for a used copy: this entire playlist (in this order) and 4 cuts by Kaiser Clifton are on Disc #2 of the JSP box set Memphis Shakedown.

CD-Charts Position 8
Average Rating:

Complete Recorded Works, Vol. 2 (1928-1929)

by: Memphis Jug Band

Release Date May 27, 1994
How could a collection of Memphis Jug Band cuts be anything but great? Add in the pieces by the Picaninny Jug Band and you got yourself a document. Note to the person waiting for a used copy: this entire playlist (in this order) and 4 cuts by Kaiser Clifton are on Disc #2 of the JSP box set Memphis Shakedown.

CD-Charts Position 9
Average Rating:

Memphis Jug Band, Vol. 3

by: Memphis Jug Band

Release Date June 23, 1998
How could a collection of Memphis Jug Band cuts be anything but great? Add in the pieces by the Picaninny Jug Band and you got yourself a document. Note to the person waiting for a used copy: this entire playlist (in this order) and 4 cuts by Kaiser Clifton are on Disc #2 of the JSP box set Memphis Shakedown.

CD-Charts Position 10
Average Rating:

The Memphis Jug Band Story: 1927-1934

by: Memphis Jug Band

Release Date April 11, 2000
How could a collection of Memphis Jug Band cuts be anything but great? Add in the pieces by the Picaninny Jug Band and you got yourself a document. Note to the person waiting for a used copy: this entire playlist (in this order) and 4 cuts by Kaiser Clifton are on Disc #2 of the JSP box set Memphis Shakedown.