New York, NY (Top40 Charts/ Stony Plain Records) -
Maria Muldaur, 'America's First Lady of
Roots Music,' is coming full circle and returning to her beginnings with a new jug band album,
Maria Muldaur & Her Garden of Joy, which is set for release on October 6 by Stony Plain Records, distributed in the U.S. by ADA. The new CD will be followed by a six-week tour throughout the U.S. and Canada.
The new album is a reunion between the Grammy-nominated singer and some of the alumni of the legendary Even Dozen Jug Band, the first group Muldaur recorded with, including John Sebastian and David Grisman. Sebastian soon became famous as leader of the Lovin' Spoonful and the writer of numerous hits including 'Do You Believe in Magic?,' 'Summer in the City,' 'Daydream,' 'Nashville Cats', and the theme for the hit TV series, 'Welcome Back Kotter.' David Grisman, known as a pioneer of 'new bluegrass' (as well as his own fusion of jazz, bluegrass and gypsy music called 'Dawg Music'), went on to record more than 50 albums since his Even Dozen Jug Band days, with artists as varied as Jerry Garcia and Ste'phane Grappelli.
To complete this reunion of former jug band mates, Muldaur will include on the new CD the title track of her 2005 Grammy-nominated album, Sweet Lovin' Ol' Soul, which features the last recording of the late Fritz Richmond, the incomparable jug player in the Jim Kweskin Jug Band. The track also includes another long-time friend, Taj Mahal.
Maria Muldaur & Her Garden of Joy also features the illustrious ultimate hipster, Dan Hicks, who continues to record and tour internationally with his band The Hot Licks. Joining these jug band veterans are Muldaur's newest discovery, a young jug band called the Crow Quill Night Owls.
'Their leader, who calls himself Kit Stovepipe, is simply the best ragtime guitar player I've ever heard, as well as a virtuoso on jug, tub and washboard,' says Muldaur. 'I just know the combination of the seasoned players and the youthful 'New Jug Generation' will make for a joyful, high energy musical adventure.'
Though much of the repertoire comes from the idiom's classic era, the 1920s and '30s, the material certainly touches on current topics. Muldaur found two songs from the Great Depression era called 'Bank Failure Blues,' and 'Doggone the Panic Is On!' The inclusion of two hilarious new songs written by Hicks (who sings two duets with Maria) rounds out the album.
'Initially I just wanted to revisit my roots and have some fun with my old bandmates, but soon I realized that this was actually a very timely project,' remembers Muldaur. 'I discovered that there's a whole new jug band revival going on out there. I've heard of bands recreating this music from Toronto to Timbuktu. Somebody told me there were 150 jug bands in Tokyo! And there are 1,800,000 Google links to jug bands
'Who knew?' she asks, with a mixture of amazement and surprise.
'Jug band music, which tends to be lighthearted, humorous and zany, emerged out of a period of hard times as a way of lifting people's spirits. So, once again, this will be Good Time Music for Hard Times! Everything Old is New Again!'
