Louisville in Jefferson County, Kentucky — The American South (East South Central)

Jug Band Pioneer

By Duane and Tracy Marsteller, November 26, 2020

1. Jug Band Pioneer Marker

Inscription. Click to hear the inscription.

Earl McDonald (1885-1949) helped establish Louisville as the home of jug band music. An accomplished jug blower, vocalist, composer, leader, & recording artist. Bands in Australia, Europe, and Japan continue to admire, perform, and emulate his 42 recorded tunes of the 1920s and 1930s.
Dedicated to Rod Wenz,
Founder of the National Jug Band Jubilee

Erected 2009 by Kentucky Historical Society and Kentucky Department of Highways. (Marker Number 2291.)

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Arts, Letters, Music • Entertainment. In addition, it is included in the Kentucky Historical Society series list.

Location. 38° 15.824′ N, 85° 43.995′ W. Marker is in Louisville, Kentucky, in Jefferson County. Marker can be reached from River Road. Marker is on RiverWalk near the Brown-Forman Amphitheater. It is accessible from the Turquoise parking lot. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1301 River Road, Louisville KY 40202, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers

By Duane and Tracy Marsteller, November 26, 2020

2. Jug Band Pioneer Marker

are within walking distance of this marker. Lincoln Memorial (approx. 0.4 miles away); Lincoln’s Ties To Kentucky (approx. 0.4 miles away); The Heigold Facade (approx. 0.4 miles away); Hannah Toliver (approx. half a mile away in Indiana); St. Joseph Catholic Church (approx. 0.6 miles away); Duty Honor Country (approx. 0.6 miles away in Indiana); Thomas Edison (approx. 0.6 miles away); Civil War Memorial (approx. 0.7 miles away in Indiana). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Louisville.

Also see . . . Earl McDonald's Jug Band 1924 1927 (YouTube). Ten songs recorded by the group. Uploaded by tt Boxcar. (Submitted on November 29, 2020, by Duane Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.)

The Dixieland Jug Blowers image. Click for full size.

By Public domain, circa 1926

3. The Dixieland Jug Blowers

This is considered the most influential band that Earl McDonald (with jug) was involved in. It was created in 1926 when Victor Records combined two bands, led by McDonald and fiddler Clifford Hayes, for a recording session in Chicago. The ensemble fused traditional jug band music (using jugs, banjos, guitars and fiddles) with jazz elements (alto saxophone, clarinet, piano and trombone).

Credits. This page was last revised on November 29, 2020. It was originally submitted on November 29, 2020, by Duane Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. This page has been viewed 46 times since then and 7 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on November 29, 2020, by Duane Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.