Memphis Jug Band

• Genre: Early American Blues
• Hometown: Memphis

About

With a revolving lineup of singers and musicians, Memphis Jug Band performed old-timey hokum/Dixie-styled classics in the Delta regions from the pre-war era until the 1960s. Incorporating a variety of string and wind instruments (including kazoos!), the band's music takes a whimsical, circus-like feel. The amazing thing about these songs is the light-hearted approach to such subjects as cocaine addiction and mental illness. These blues may appeal more to fans of Michigan J. Frog than Howlin' Wolf, but with their influence easily detected in the work of countless post-war Memphis bluesmen, Memphis Jug Band's place in history cannot be disputed.

- Mike McGuirk