The jug band gets a bad rap, usually portrayed as shoeless hillbillies blowing mouth harps and breathing heavily into clay whiskey jugs. In reality, many jug bands were African American, and their music--a spirited mix of jazz, country, and ragtime played on instruments manufactured from household castoffs, such as old jugs, washtubs, and a comb and tissue paper--can be quite captivating. The genre had its heyday in the 1920s, although the style had regional crazes earlier. The famed Okeh label recorded several of these groups, the most famous being the Memphis Jug Band.

Notable Artists: The Memphis Jug Band, Cannon's Jug Stompers, Last Chance Jug Band