Document Records - Vintage Blues and Jazz

"Search Document Records - Memphis Jug Band Results "

Viewing 1 to 9 of 9

Memphis Jug Band 1932-1934

Picaninny Jug Band: Will Shade, harmonica; Jab Jones, jug; Charlie Burse, vocal, tenor guitar, Vol Stevens, vocal, mandolin, Otto Gilmore, drums
Memphis Jug Band: Same as Picininny Jug Band with appearances by: Charlie Pierce, violin and Robert Burse, drums.
Genres: Blues, Memphis Blues, Country Blues, Jug Bands.
 
Informative booklet notes by Chris Smith.
Detailed discography.
 
In 1932 a bunch of musicians traveled to Richmond, Indiana, to cut records for Gennett's soon to be extinct cheap label Champion. Despite, or more likely because of, times being hard, the Picaninny Jug Band's music is generally up tempo, jolly music, with Otto Gilmore's capering percussion strongly featured. Even so, the discs sold poorly.
 
Some of the titles were to be re-cut at the Memphis jug Band's last, two-day session, for Okeh in 1934. The band that recorded then was an accomplished and versatile unit: Will Shade, Charlie Burse and Jab Jones all sang; Shade played guitar and harmonica, and Burse guitar and mandolin, while Jones doubled piano and jug (unless, as he claimed, Dewey Corley was the jug player for this date). Charlie's brother Robert handled the percussion, while on fiddle there was Charlie Pierce, older than the rest of the band, and formerly a member of W C. Handy's Orchestra. Continued...



More Info on our New Store >>
   

Memphis Harp & Jug Blowers 1927 - 1939

It just might be that Memphis invented the harmonica blues or at least that they grew up in the city and environs considering the number of major harp players living there. Will Shade, Jed Davenport of neighbouring Tennessee, Noah Lewis from Ripley, Hammie Nixon from Brownsville and later John Lee (Sonny Boy Wiliamson No. 1) Williamson from Jackson, Tennessee. As an indication of the Memphis areas pre-eminence in affairs of the harp we could look at the record company's field trips. For example with over 30 trips each to Atalnta and Texas (compared to just 12 to Memphis) only a hand full of harmonica players were discovered. Atlanta could only muster Palmer McAbee (who may have been white). De Ford Bailey (from Nashville). Birmingham's Jaybird Coleman and a Buddy Moss accompaniment While Texas produced one William McCoy and an unknown accompanist to Hattie Hyde! But more important than mere superiority of numbers is the difference in style; while the other harmonica players were fox-chasing and playing trains (see DOCD-5100) the Memphis men were playing hard blues.




More Info on our New Store >>
   

Memphis Jug Band, the essential DOUBLE CD
Classic Blues is devoted to re-issuing the classic recordings of America's greatist blues artists.



More Info on our New Store >>
   

Memphis Jug Band Vol 1 1927 - 1928

Memphis Jug Band Vol. 1 (24th February to 13th February 1928)
 
Includes: Will Shade, vocal, harmonica, guitar; (Casey Bill) Will Weldon, vocal guitar; Charlie Polk, jug; Vol Stevens, banjo-mandolin; Jenny Clayton, vocal; Ben Ramey, vocal, kazoo; and others…
 
Genres: Memphis Blues, Jug Band, Country Blues, Blues Harmonica.
Booklet Notes by Chris Smith.
Detailed discography.
 
It's appropriate that the breakthrough to recording for Memphis jug bands should have been spearheaded by the Memphis Jug Band, even if it no longer appears that Will Shade's group was the first of its kind in the city. The good sales of their first coupling both ensured that Victor recorded them extensively for three years, and paved the way into the studio for the bands led by Gus Cannon, Jed Davenport and Jack Kelly. The Memphis Jug Band's sound changed considerably with time, but it was always instantly recognisable; at the outset, the band comprised Will Shade and Will Weldon, whose two guitars make a sound often very like that of St. Louis bluesman Charlie Jordan; Ben Ramey, whose chugging, inventive kazoo shared the melodic duties with the harmonica that Shade also played; and Charlie Polk, who played the instrument that gave the band its name. Continued...



More Info on our New Store >>
   

Memphis Jug Band Vol 2 1928 - 1929

Memphis Jug Band Vol 2 (13th February 1928 to October 1929)
 
Includes: Will Shade; vocal, guitar; (Casey Bill) Will Weldon, guitar; Vol Stevens, banjo-mandolin; Charlie Polk, jug; Charlie Burse, vocal, guitar; Jab Jones, jug; Hattie Hart, vocal; And others…
Genres: Memphis Blues, Country Blues, Jug Bands
Informative booklet notes by Chris Smith.
Detailed discography.
 
When the Memphis Jug Band reassembled in September 1928 to cut eight titles for Victor, they began in larky mood. New member (on disc at least) Jab Jones sang what was nominally a tribute to Charles Lindbergh's solo flight across the Atlantic the previous year, but his version of the Lindyhop is a crazy, almost surrealist one. Sugar Pudding, a version of "Take Your Fingers Off It", marked the debut of Jones's thunderous jug, replacing the less forthright Charlie Polk. The other new member was the extrovert Alabaman guitarist and singer Charlie Burse. He was one of the singers on both On The Road Again, whose chorus refers to Monk Eastman's eponymous gang, active in New York in the late 1890s, and the hybrid A Black Woman Is Like A Black Snake, with its 12 bar verse and 8 bar chorus. The cryptic Whitewash Station opened proceedings on 15th September, followed by the Memphis Jug Band’s most famous number, the beautiful Stealin' Stealin', relaxed, nostalgic, and superbly played. The two waltzes that closed the session, though unusual on race records, were probably no novelty to the band, which would have been expected to play such pieces for dancing by both blacks and whites. Continued...



More Info on our New Store >>
   

Memphis Jug Band Vol 3 (1930)

 

Memphis Jug Band (Carolina Peanut Boys, Memphis Sheiks)
 
Includes: Will Shade, vocal, guitar; Charlie Burse, mandolin, tenor guitar, Hambone Lewis, jug; Charlie Nickerson, vocal, Memphis Minnie, vocal, guitar; Jab Jones, jug; Hattie Hart, vocal; And others...
 
Genres: Memphis Blues, Country Blues, Jug Bands.
Informative booklet notes by Chris Smith.
Detailed discography.
 
Everybody's Talking About Sadie Green, proclaimed the Memphis Jug Band's new singer, Charlie Nickerson, on the first song of fourteen that were to be recorded on six days between 12th May and 5th June 1930. Besides the addition of Nickerson's ingratiating vocals, perfect for hokum and dance tunes, Hambone Lewis had been brought in to play powerful jug, replacing Jab Jones, who'd left after a row with Will Shade over his drinking habits. Continued...

 




More Info on our New Store >>
   

Too Late Too Late Blues 1926 - 1944
DOCD-5150 Too Late Too Late Blues 1926 - 1944 Alternative takes and rare, late, discoveries. Various. The first Document CD appeared in 1990 with DOCD-5001 “Tommy Johnson”. Three years and 150 releases later the first volume of the “Too Late, Too Late” albums appeared. The unprecedented unleashing of such a fast growing bulk of blues and gospel recordings in such a “completist” fashion inspired both fans of the music and collectors alike. Once that the great river of releases had been flowing for a while collectors began to think again about what might be hidden in the corners of their collections or had until then been regarded of no real significance. In addition there were recent and continue to be, rare finds. A Big Bill Broonzy 78 had just recently been found, having been picked up in a lot that was saved from the street where it had been left for disposal. Then there was the box of Paramount tests that had been found several years ago which were made available. Collectors also began to revisit their records with more attention being paid to the recordings themselves and on many occasions found that takes that appeared on their records were not the takes that had thus far been re-issued.



More Info on our New Store >>
   

Too Late Too Late Vol 3 1927 - 1960's



More Info on our New Store >>
   

God Don`t Like It - Document Shortcuts Vol 1 Blues Sampler
Maybe you already know something about Document, maybe (to use a music biz term) you are just “scratching the surface”. Either way, here is a clip, a snippet, an appetizer made up from tracks found within the catalogue. You don’t have to be a collector, worrying about matrix numbers or what colour socks such and such an artist was wearing during his 1953 recording of his big hit “I’m Really Happy Blues”, to appreciate the Shortcuts albums. This music was never recorded to be analysed, it was just for people to dig it, savour it, perhaps to hear it’s message, more than likely dance to it.



More Info on our New Store >>
   

 

Home Search Affiliates Services