Memphis Jug Band - The Best Of The Memphis Jug Band (2001)

Tracklist

01. Tired Of You Driving Me
02. A Black Woman Is Like A Black Snake
03. Aunt Caroline Dyer Blues
04. Papa's Got Your Water On
05. On The Road Again
06. K.C. Moan
07. Cocaine Habit Blues
08. Coal Oil Blues
09. You May Leave, But This Will Bring You Back
10. Memphis Yo Yo Blues
11. Memphis Shakedown
12. She Stays Out All Night Long
13. Meningitis Blues
14. Stealin' Stealin'
15. He's In The Jailhouse Now
16. Taking Your Place
17. Ambulance Man
18. Beale Street Mess Around
19. Going Back To Memphis
20. State Of Tennessee Blues
21. Insane Crazy Blues
22. Memphis Jug
23. Got A Letter From My Darlin'

The liner notes implicitly state that no other jug band surpassed the Memphis Jug Band in breadth and scope. They played all styles - blues, rags, and pop - and performed them better than their competitors. Since few listeners or reviewers are experts on jug bands, there is little use in arguing the point. All one need do is place The Best of the Memphis Jug Band in the disc player and listen. There are classics like "Cocaine Habit Blues" ("Hey, hey honey take a whiff on me") and the Jimmie Rodgers hit "He's in the Jailhouse Now." Utilizing banjo, guitar, harmonic, a jug, and a kazoo, Will Shade and a number of cohorts stick to a relaxed groove on catchy pieces like "She Stays Out All Night Long" and the bluesy "Meningitis Blues." Deadheads will also recognize old favorites like "On the Road Again" and "Stealin' Stealin'," leftover from the Grateful Dead's jug band days. The Memphis Jug Band plays with a tranquil surety, perfectly in sync with one another on songs like "State of Tennessee Blues." A helpful essay by Don Kent and Bengt Olsson reviews the history of the band, while the song notes list the individual players on each track (a non-existent piece of knowledge on many early recording sessions). The recording quality is also good. The Best of the Memphis Jug Band offers 70 minutes of first-rate traditional music and is a fine introduction to the band. It's also a necessary addition to the music library of anyone who appreciates old-time music.

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