National Jug Band Jubilee

Jim Kweskin and Geoff Muldaur to Headline the Sixth Annual National Jug Band Jubilee

LOUISVILLE, KY, (July 9, 2010)-- Get those empty whiskey jugs and kazoos ready because Jim Kweskin and Geoff Muldaur of the legendary Kweskin Jug Band are coming to Louisville for the 6th Annual National Jug Band Jubilee. The jubilee, an all-day music festival dedicated to pre-World War II folk music, takes place on September 18th at the Brown-Forman Amphitheater in Waterfront Park in downtown Louisville. The best part is that it is free!

In the 1960s, the Kweskin Jug Band turned a generation of Baby Boomers on to the joys of early American folk music. The recordings that Kweskin’s Jug Band made for Vanguard Records recordings were a catalyst for the ‘60s Folk Revival. They inspired artists like Bob Dylan, the Grateful Dead, and the Rolling Stones to take a fresh look at pre-war music. The jug band also shared the stage with the Doors and Big Brother and the Holding Company. Now, Kweskin and Muldaur are visiting the city that birthed much of the music they love so much.

Louisville is the acknowledged home of jug music, a pre-jazz style that features traditional and homemade instruments. In the late 19th century, African American musicians walked the streets of the River City playing tunes on improvised instruments like empty liquor jugs ("the poor man’s tuba"), kazoos and washboards. By the time the sound reached its peak in the 1930s, it had infiltrated towns up and down the Ohio and Mississippi rivers, especially Memphis and New Orleans. Jug music also inspired the English skiffle craze which gave rise to future rock bands like The Beatles and the Lovin’ Spoonful.

Kweskin and Muldaur are touring in support of the DVD release of “Chasin’ Gus’ Ghost,” a documentary about the history of jug music. The film was shown at the National Jug Band Jubilee two years ago. Kweskin and Muldaur are featured on a companion album being released with the documentary, “The Jug Band Extravaganza.” The album’s songs come from a concert at the Great American Music Hall in San Francisco. Other musicians on the record include John Sebastian, David Grisman, Maria Muldaur, and The Barbecue Orchestra.

The 6th Annual National Jug Band Jubilee is proud to celebrate the legacy of jug music and its Louisville origins. This year’s festival will include artists from all over the country. Come out and join the fun.

Festival gates open at noon Saturday and bands play from 1:00-11:00 pm. The open-air Brown-Forman Amphitheater is located immediately east of the Tumbleweed Restaurant on River Road. No pets, coolers or outside alcohol permitted inside the festival. This event takes place rain or shine!

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