Will Shade

Will Shade
Originally uploaded by george mitchell1

Notes from flickr.com

Will Shade

Will Shade, also known as Son Brimmer, was the head of the great Memphis Jug Band. Here he is blowing harmonica, his main instrument, but he also blew the jug, played the one-string oil-can bass, and guitar. In the background is his wife, Jennie Mae Clayton Shade, known in her younger days as the beauty of Beale Street and a singer with the Memphis Jug Band. Photograph taken with, if I remember correctly the Sears/Roebuck version of a Kodak Brownie. Memphis, Tennessee, 1962.

Uploaded by george mitchell1 on 7 Mar 10, 9.25PM PDT.

Back to Memphis

Here's the Memphis Jug Band.


Cocaine habit blues


Coal Oil Blues


We're going back, way back, to the late 20's and early 30's today. One of the interesting things about this band is that the personnel changed regularly, usually centred around Will Shade who was the glue holding the group together.