Clifford Hayes: Jugless in Chicago

Jeff Barnhart: Hal, last month we began exploring the music of the Dixieland Jug Blowers, concluding with the first side from their June 6, 1927, recording date at the Victor Recording Studio in Chicago. On this and subsequent dates, the band deviated greatly from the instrumentation featured on the dates in 1926. On the June dates we still hear violin (which makes sense since that’s what the leader, Clifford Hayes, played), but we’re down to one banjo from three, and now we hear trombone, two saxes, piano, and only one jug. One would think Hayes and Co. were going for a more urban (or perhaps merely commercial), less rustic sound, but listening to the first track we’ll cover this month, “Southern Shout,” that can’t be the whole story...this first side has as much of a hoe-down as a jazz feel. Can you get us started? Hal Smith: In Ron Geesin’s liner notes for the “Louisville Stomp” CD on Frog, he mentions that “[Clifford Hayes’] aspirations were towards more sophisticated instrumental combinations...” I guess this particular grouping of instruments represented a kind of steppingstone between the more country sound of the band with multiple banjos and jugs and a jazzier approach. This lineup also de-emphasized the banjo too! Cal Smith played it on “National Blues,” which we discussed in the last installment, but played four-string guitar on most of the se