Label: Document Records/RST Records.
Release Date: 1994.
Recording Time: 71 minutes.
Recording Date: December 10, 1926 - April 30, 1927.
Releases: 1999 (RST Records), 2000 (Document), 2005 (Document).
Styles: Early Jazz, Jug Band, Pre-War Country Blues.
Featured Artists: Earl McDonald's Original Louisville Jug Band, Whistler's Jug Band, Dixieland Jug Blowers, Clifford Hayes.
The second of four CDs in a very valuable series from the Austrian RST label has 12 selections from the Dixieland Jug Blowers (a very spirited sextet with violinist Clifford Hayes, the colorful jug blowing of Earl McDonald, and on six numbers, clarinetist Johnny Dodds as a guest), eight from Earl McDonald's Original Louisville Jug Band, and four by Whistler's Jug Band (their leader, Buford Threlked, doubles on guitar and nose whistle). The monologue on the former group's "House Rent Rag" is quite memorable and humorous. Of the four CDs this is the most essential one, for it finds these historic groups in their prime.
by Scott Yanow
Personnel: Dixieland Jug Blowers with Lockwood Lewis - alto sax, vocal, Clifford Hayes - violin, Cal Smith, Emmett Perkins, Curtis Hayes - banjo, Earl McDonald - jug, vocal, H. Clifford - jug, Johnny Dodds - clarinet; Earl McDonald’s Original Jug Band with Lucien Brown - altos sax, Ben Calvin - mandolin, Cal Smith - banjo, Earl McDonald, jug, vocal; Whistler And His Jug Band with Whistler (Buford Threlkeld) - guitar, nose-whistle, Jesse Ferguson - violin, Willie Black - tenor banjo, Rudolph Thompson - jug.
Informative booklet notes by Brenda Bogart.
Document Records:
A long-time Louisville resident recalls: “You could not walk three blocks in downtown Louisville without running across a bunch of kids with jugs, banjos, guitars, homemade ukuleles and an upturned washtub with a single string that was played with a bow. Also you could see plenty of adults playing on corners trying to make an extra buck and they usually had legitimate instruments plus the jug. Jugs were plentiful in this part of the country during Prohibition."
According to Paul Mott, a jug player with Whistler’s Jug Band, the band used to go into both black and white clubs, play a few numbers, then pass around the hat. He never heard of a jug band having a regular job in any of the joints. They could make more on the street corner hustlin’.”
Some of the most popular Louisville jug bands were those fronted by jug player Earl McDonald (1884-1949). Until 1920, when he could make a living playing music, McDonald worked various day jobs (including “stemming” in a tobacco warehouse) and performed with his band at night. During the 1920’s he, along with other musicians, lived on Carpet Alley, a street that the band immortalized in Carpet Alley Breakdown...
Credits: Willie Black - banjo; Eubie Blake - composer; Lucien Brown - sax (alto); Henry Clifford - composer; The Dixieland Jug Blowers - performer, primary artist; Johnny Dodds - clarinet; Jess Ferguson - violin; Clifford Hayes - primary artist, violin; Curtis Hayes - banjo; Lockwood Lewis - sax (alto), vocals; Earl McDonald - composer, jug, speech/speaker/speaking part, vocals; Earl McDonald's Original Louisville Jug Band - primary artist; Johnny Parth - compilation producer, producer; Noble Sissle - composer; Cal Smith - banjo, composer; Rudolph Thompson - jug; Buford Threlkeld - guitar, nose whistle, vocals; Gerhard Wessely - remastering; Whistler & His Jug Band - performer, primary artist.
Tracks: 1) Boodle-am-shake (take 2) - Dixieland Jug Blowers; 2) Florida blues - Dixieland Jug Blowers; 3) Don`t give all my lard away - Dixieland Jug Blowers; 4) Banjoreno - Dixieland Jug Blowers; 5) Skip, skat, doodle-do - Dixieland Jug Blowers; 6) Louisville stomp - Dixieland Jug Blowers; 7) House rent rag - Dixieland Jug Blowers; 8) Memphis shake - Dixieland Jug Blowers; 9) Carpet Alley-breakdown (take 1) - Dixieland Jug Blowers; 10) Carpet Alley-breakdown (take 2) - Dixieland Jug Blowers; 11) Hen party blues (take 1) - Dixieland Jug Blowers; 12) Hen party blues (take 2) - Dixieland Jug Blowers; 13) She`s in the graveyard now - Earl McDonald`s Original Louisville Jug Band; 14) Casey Bill - Earl McDonald`s Original Louisville Jug Band; 15) Louisville special - Earl McDonald`s Original Louisville Jug Band; 16) Rocking chair blues - Earl McDonald`s Original Louisville Jug Band; 17) Mama`s little sunny boy - Earl McDonald`s Original Louisville Jug Band; 18) She won`t quit but she`ll slow down - Earl McDonald`s Original Louisville Jug Band; 19) Under the chicken tree - Earl McDonald`s Original Louisville Jug Band; 20) Melody march call - Earl McDonald`s Original Louisville Jug Band; 21) Low down blues - Whistler And His Jug Band; 22) The vamps of 28 - Whistler And His Jug Band; 23) The jug band special - Whistler And His Jug Band; 24) Pig meat blues - Whistler And His Jug Band.