Novelty bands (HoosierHS,R.Crumb) help

Subject: Novelty bands (HoosierHS,R.Crumb) help
From: GutBucketeer
Date: 12 Apr 01 - 12:11 AM

Lately, I started tracing some of the old tunes on a Double Decker String Band CD I have, and came across some of the old Novelty bands of the 20's and their revivalist of the 70's. I have really fallen for the music and am trying to find out more about it.

These include older artists like:

The Georgia YellowHammers (can't find any online references to this group) The Hoosier Hotshots
Cliff Edwards (Ukelele Ike)
Wendell Hall
Gus Cannon and the Jug Stompers
Washboard Sam
Hoagy Carmichael

and newer artists like:
Jim Kweskin Jug Band (and Geoff Muldaur)
R. Crumb and His Cheap Suit Serenaders
Dave Van Ronk and his Jug Stompers
The Holy Modal Rounders (borderline for me)
John Sebastian and his J.Band
Dan Hicks and His Hot Licks

I am very interested in other early artists and the origins of this type of music - For me it sort of bubbles over with happiness and good feelings -

Can anyone tell me more about other early artists to explore, or places on the net to go. I'm not even sure that it fits into any genre other than jug band music. However, most of the jug band music I've heard played today is just an excuse for sloppy musicianship and lack of practice. When I listen to the early recordings there seems to be so much more: 20's Hot Jazz, Novelty or Party Songs, etc. I'm just not sure where to look next.

GutBucky (JAB)

Subject: RE: Novelty bands (HoosierHS,R.Crumb) help
From: GutBucketeer
Date: 12 Apr 01 - 12:16 AM

Darn: some of my line breaks did not work:
The above should read:

These include older artists like:

The Georgia YellowHammers (can't find any online references to this group)
The Hoosier Hotshots
Cliff Edwards (Ukelele Ike)
Wendell Hall
Gus Cannon and the Jug Stompers
Washboard Sam
Hoagy Carmichael

etc.

Subject: RE: Novelty bands (HoosierHS,R.Crumb) help
From: GUEST,#1
Date: 12 Apr 01 - 01:13 AM

Ask Bruce Hutton. He still lives in Silver Spring (or Tacoma Park) Maryland (musician land, with Joe Hickerson and a host of others).

Subject: RE: Novelty bands (HoosierHS,R.Crumb) help
From: Stewie
Date: 12 Apr 01 - 01:15 AM

Here are a few:

Robert Crumb

Cannon's Jug Stompers

Ukelele Ike

Hoosier Hotshots

--Stewie.

Subject: RE: Novelty bands (HoosierHS,R.Crumb) help
From: GutBucketeer
Date: 13 Apr 01 - 12:24 AM

Thanks Dale and Stewie !!!

The sites are really nice.

Have you checked out:
Nugrape
http://www.warehouse.net/nugrape/
The Secret Museum of the Air
http://www.megasaver.com/sma/main.html
Red Hot Jazz
http://www.redhotjazz.com/bands.html

I'm still on my hunt for more info. on the Georgie Yellowhammers.

Subject: RE: Novelty bands (HoosierHS,R.Crumb) help
From: Peter Kasin
Date: 13 Apr 01 - 03:21 AM

There's a great video called "Times Ain't Like They Used To Be: Early Rural and Popular American Music From Original Film Masters (1928-35). It includes a two and a half minute clip of Whistler's Jug Band, playing a tune called "Foldin' Bed, recorded in Louisville in 1930. The notes read: "Whistler's Jug Band, one of the outstanding jug bands of the 1920s and the first to commercially record (Sept. 1924), was captured by newsreel cameras playing a popular jugband tune also known as "Tear It Down, Bed Slats And All."

The video also includes a great clip of former heavyweight champ Jack Johnson conducting a jazz band (1929), a vaudeville routine by "Otto Gray's Oklahoma Cowboys," and alot more great stuff. The video is released by Shanachie, on their "Yazoo" label. With the interests you expressed, I think you'd love this.

-chanteyranger

Subject: RE: Novelty bands (HoosierHS,R.Crumb) help
From: Metchosin
Date: 13 Apr 01 - 04:23 AM

There's a little more about the style here

Used to be a big fan of Dan Hicks and His Hot Licks, especially during the period when Naomi Eisenberg sp? was in the band and particularly the album Striking it Rich. Great tunes and musicianship. Ah memories...Canned Music...I Scare Myself....

Subject: RE: Novelty bands (HoosierHS,R.Crumb) help
From: Metchosin
Date: 13 Apr 01 - 04:27 AM

Well that didn't work, try it again more here

Subject: RE: Novelty bands (HoosierHS,R.Crumb) help
From: Stewie
Date: 13 Apr 01 - 05:09 AM

JAB, I have checked out the sites you mention. I have all the Nugrape CDs which are excellent musically, but devoid of any notes or adequate discographical information - mostly black gospel and early country. The Nugrape site has some excellent links.

I don't think you will find much, if anything, on the net about the Georgia Yellow Hammers - Dale Rose would know if anything at all exists. If you have access to a decent library seek out issue # 25 (Summer 1977) of Old Time Music. It is a special issue on old time music in Georgia. An article therein by Gene Wiggins and Tony Russell 'Hell Broke Loose in Gordon County Georgia' gives excellent info on the Hammers and others.

--Stewie.

Subject: RE: Novelty bands (HoosierHS,R.Crumb) help
From: kendall
Date: 13 Apr 01 - 06:32 AM

Anyone remember the Corn Cobblers?

Subject: RE: Novelty bands (HoosierHS,R.Crumb) help
From: GUEST,DonMeixner
Date: 13 Apr 01 - 09:11 AM

Hi Bucket

Does your name imply that you are a practioner of the single string Stradivarius?

The Yellow Hammers had some recording compiled on Arhoolie Records I think. My brother Gary has at least one LP of their old 78's as well as a bio on the band. Gary sometimes haunts this forum. I'll talk to him soonest and see if he can't direct you to a good site.

Don

Subject: RE: Novelty bands (HoosierHS,R.Crumb) help
From: GUEST,Mike Billo
Date: 13 Apr 01 - 10:36 AM

Take a look at the Jug Band Rag at http://home.nyc.rr.com/jugband

or the skifle home page at http://www.skiffle.com

another excellent source can be found by runing a search (sorry, I don't have their URL) for Alan and Jenny Dailey St. Louis Zipper.

Let's not forget to pay homage to Spike Jones while we're on this subject.

Subject: RE: Novelty bands (HoosierHS,R.Crumb) help
From: LR Mole
Date: 13 Apr 01 - 11:23 AM

Kweskin and his newest lineup are playing in R.I. tomorrow night, I think. Some woman named Samoa singing who's said to be wonderful.

Subject: RE: Novelty bands (HoosierHS,R.Crumb) help
From: GUEST,Russ
Date: 13 Apr 01 - 01:33 PM

Also check out
http://1001tunes.webhost.fm/fiddlers/fiddlers14a.html
http://www.korrnet.org/jca/oldtime.htm

The Old Time Herald is also a goldmine
http://www.oldtimeherald.org/

Subject: RE: Novelty bands (HoosierHS,R.Crumb) help
From: GutBucketeer
Date: 13 Apr 01 - 03:59 PM

Wow!

Thanks Loads for the new info. and Yes I do slap the single string of the Tub on occasion.

Stewie, I will check out the magazine you mentioned. One of the advantages of working in downtown D.C. is I can take a long lunch and go to the Library of Congress Center of Folklife on occasion.

Gutbucky (aka JAB)

Subject: RE: Novelty bands (HoosierHS,R.Crumb) help
From: RWilhelm
Date: 14 Apr 01 - 08:54 AM

Yazoo Records has a two volume sampler of jug band music from the 20's called Ruckus Juice and Chitlins: The Great Jug Bands Great songs and more variety than you might expect.