See Reverse Side for Title

See Reverse Side for Title Artist: Jim Kweskin & The Jug Band
Label: Universe Italy
Category: Music



Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Media: Audio CD
Number Of Discs: 1


EAN: 8026575048225
ASIN: B00006F87H


Release Date: 2002-08-20

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Tracks:

  1. Blues In The Bottle
  2. Chevrolet
  3. Christopher Columbus
  4. Never Swat A Fly
  5. Richland Woman
  6. Downtown Blues
  7. Turn The Record Over
  8. Fishing Blues
  9. Storybook Ball
  10. That's When I'll Come Back To You
  11. Viola Lee
  12. Papa's On The Housetop
  13. Onyx Hop

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars A GOOD-TIME CLASSIC.......2003-12-07

This album, originally released in 1966, is one of the band's best - and for a group that was as consistently so much fun as this bunch, that's saying a lot. The instrumentation is completely acoustic - even what some would consider `primitive' (the use of the jug and the washtub bass, for example) - but the effects are timeless.

`Blues in the bottle' starts things off in great style - this tune was also covered by the Lovin' Spoonful in this era. Jim Kweskin's vocal is absolutely joyful - even on a `blues', it's hard for him to repress that natural buoyancy that's his trademark. Geoff Muldaur and Maria D'Amato (later Maria Muldaur) duet on the blues classic `Chevrolet' next, trading off verses as easily as a conversation. Kweskin returns with one of the several humorous songs of the album, the jug band version of the story of `Christopher Columbus' - a bit more swingin' that that offered by the history books. Geoff sings `Never swat a fly' - a reminder that human beings are not the only species to fall in love (and thereby alternately rejoice and suffer). Mississippi John Hurt's eternal `Richland woman' comes next - and this version, sung by Maria, is without a doubt the most beautiful, moving version of this song I've ever heard. `Downtown blues' follows, a real `shouter' from Geoff - and this is his forte, the boy can holler. Side one of the lp ended with the next track, the appropriately titled bit of silliness `Turn the record over'.

The second half of the program starts off nicely with another tune covered by the Spoonful (great pals of this bunch, by the way), `Fishin' blues'. Kweskin and Fritz Richmond then gift us the story of the `Storybook ball', involving several characters you'll recognize from nursery rhymes - and like `Christopher Columbus', this one swings a bit more than the original tales. Another duet from Geoff and Maria, `That's when I'll come back to you', follows - again, in a conversational style, and very well done by the couple. Muldaur sings `Viola Lee' next, with another gently humorous tune from Kweskin, `Papa's on the housetop', coming close behind. The set closes with Kweskin and Muldaur singing `Onyx hop'.

There is not a word more apt that `fun' to describe the music on this album. There are elements of blues, jazz, swing, and folk here - but the overall effect is a smile that is hard to wipe off the face. This music is good medicine - apply frequently, as needed.

Music CD:

  1. Songbird ~ Eva Cassidy
  2. Spencer the Rover is Alive and Well ~ John Roberts and Tony Barrand
  3. Battlefield Ballads of the Civil War
  4. A Tale of Two Americas ~ Rod MacDonald
  5. Greatest Hits ~ The Kingston Trio
  6. 'Bout Changes & Things, Take 2 ~ Eric Andersen
  7. Crossing [Multichannel Hybrid SACD] ~ David Elias
  8. Such A Common Bird ~ Wendy McNeill
  9. Nouveau
  10. This I Know

Music CD

Music CD

Music CD

Emotional Rollercoaster ~ Romanovsky & Phillips

Live at Newport ~ The Kingston Trio

Sign of Things to Come ~ 3rd Root

Keep the Faith ~ Bon Jovi

Monkey Banana/Excuse O ~ Fela Kuti

Sanbika ~ Rock Candies

2 Souls ~ Hana Hana

Dancing At Lughnasa: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack ~ Bill Whelan

Flutter of Birds, Vol. 2 ~ Original Game Soundtrack

A Touch on the Rainy Side ~ Jesse Winchester