Field Recordings
During the 1950's folk revival, Will Shade became the subject of several field recordings, while his ongoing performing activity and accessible location in Memphis made him a popular starting point for scholars seeking other musicians in the area. Shade would often gather other musicians to his apartment at Fourth and Beale for informal recording sessions featuring former musical rivals (including his former romantic rival Furry Lewis) playing together in different combinations. Shade continued using the name Memphis Jug Band, even for recordings consisting only of him and one or two other members. Shade's wife Jennie Mae Clayton, who sang on some of the earliest Memphis Jug Band recordings, bookended the band's career by singing on some of these final field recordings.
The following is a list of commercially available field recordings from this period:
- American Skiffle Bands, recorded 1957, reissued 2012, 3 songs and 1 interview
- Alan Lomax Blues Songbook, recorded 1959, reissued 2003, 1 song
- Conversation with the Blues, recorded 1960, reissued 1997, 1 interview
- Tennessee Recordings (from the George Mitchell collection), recorded 1962, reissued 2006, 7 songs
- I Blueskvarter: 1964, Volume Three, recorded 1964, reissued 2004, 2 songs
Read more about this topic: Memphis Jug Band
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