Customer Reviews

Ragtime Jug Stompers

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This one goes WAAAY back. Van Ronk, RIP, alas, at his most skillful and kitchy, with a merry band. Don't miss "Shake That Thing," with lyrics in a period version that has been much sanitized as the years roll on.

Be prepared to pay the premium for the rarity of this offering, in its excellent, microscopically exact dust jacket reproduction, a miniature of the vinyl disc album. My own old copy was on pre-recorded 1/4" magnetic tape, so the excellent reproduction on the CD had to meet a high standard, which it does. The very characteristic 'sound' of Mercury Records of the day is faithfully preserved (they mastered their tapes with that same sort of thin sound you could get on their early vinyls - something to do with managing master tape "printhrough" and all that), so just tweak the tone controls a good bit and marvel at the high definition they achieved in the late 1950's.

Folk singer Dave Van Ronk did several collaborations with "Traditional Jazz" and "Jug Bands" in the New York City 1960s - very fun interpretations of old New Orleans Jazz, Traditional Blues and Jug Band favorites which were later done by groups like the Jim Queskin Jug Band. This is some outstanding American Music that should be available to everyone.

Too bad this recording is now only available as a rare import - it should be generally re-issued, maybe as a double album with the Red Onion Jazz Band LP he did.

That's what it says on the back of the Mercury LP jacket, and that's exactly what it is.

If you're searching for fluid melody or mind-melding spells, you need not apply. But if you're interested in a fun (and well orchestrated) journey into the Jug Band sound, then you're right on target.

We used to play this in the 60's, in between Hendrix, The Mothers, and The Beatles. The Jug Stompers held their own (in their own delightful way).