News

Two organizations dedicated to protecting Louisville’s historic assets and a third dedicated to education in a historic environment will make music together October 12-14. They are:

·        Olmsted Parks Conservancy, with a stated mission of restoring, enhancing and preserving Louisville’s historic Olmsted Parks and Parkways, one of the community’s most valued treasures.

·        National Jug Band Jubilee, Inc., with a stated mission of encouraging unity and diversity by preserving, promoting and providing an extraordinary form of music to which Louisville has historic ties.

·        Oldham County Schools, with a stated mission of preparing students of all ages to become lifelong learners, productive community contributors and successful competitors.

            Jug bands from six states will provide the music.  They are Louisville’s Juggernaut Jug Band, the Carolina Chocolate Drops of North Carolina, the Dirdy Birdies Jug Band of New Jersey, the Cincinnati Dancing Pigs of Ohio, the Jake Leg Stompers of Tennessee and the Second Fiddles of New York.  Louisville musician Pokey LaFarge will perform between sets.

            Iroquois Amphitheater, an exquisite example of Olmsted Parks Conservancy’s largesse, will serve as the venue for the Friday (5 p.m. - 10 p.m.) and Saturday (noon- 10 p.m.) festival, presented by the Conservancy.

            “Sponsorship of this year’s Jug Band Jubilee is our way of thanking all those who support the Olmsted Parks Conservancy mission. Showcasing this event in an Olmsted park, at the newly renovated Iroquois Park Amphitheatre, for which the Conservancy was a major contributor, is an exciting opportunity,” said Bill Juckett, Olmsted Parks Conservancy Chairman of the Board.

            Sunday’s venue (2 p.m. – 4 p.m.) is Oldham County Schools Arts Center in Crestwood, opened in 2004 in a substantially renovated and enlarged facility originally built in 1873 as Crestwood Baptist Church.  Presented by the Oldham County Schools Arts Center, this event is billed as an educational encore concert featuring “edu-tainer” Sule Greg Wilson, the Carolina Chocolate Drops and the Juggernaut Jug Band.

 “We are delighted to host the National Jug Band Educational Encore Performance at the Oldham County Schools Arts Center on Sunday, Oct. 14th”, said Debbie Shearn, Oldham County Schools Arts Center

            National Jug Band Jubilee President Rod Wenz said that state, community and business support is enabling the Jubilee to begin turning the dreams of its organizers from vision to reality. 

            “We’re thrilled that the partnerships with Olmsted Parks Conservancy and Oldham Schools, and the support of such sponsors as Metro Louisville, Kentucky Arts Council and Oldham County Tourism have enabled the Jubilee to expand from a single event with two bands in 2005 to three days in two venues with six bands in 2007,”  Wenz said.

            “Jug bands and their fans around the world consider Louisville the early home—perhaps the birthplace—of jug band music.  The Jubilee is beginning to grow into that reputation, a just tribute to the creative African Americans who are the roots of this century-old music style,” he added.

National Jug Band Jubilee, Inc. is an all-volunteer 501 (C-3) non-profit corporation.  The organization has conducted workshops on jug band music and donated historic Louisville-oriented jug band materials to Louisville Free Public Library, to Filson Historical Society and to the Kentucky Center for African American heritage.  For more information, go to www.jugbandjubilee.org