Earl McDonald's Original Louisville Jug Band

AKA, the Dixieland Jug Blowers

At the turn of the century, African American musicians in Louisville walked the streets playing tunes on "found" or homemade instruments like empty liquor jugs ("the poor man’s tuba"), kazoos and washboards. They started a craze, "jug music".

Earl McDonald was born in South Carolina.His family moved to Louisville in 1885 when he was two years old. He grew up listening to jug bands playing on the street, and started his own band while still in high school. His Louisville Jug Band first played at Churchill Downs in 1903.
By 1913, fiddler Clifford Hayes had joined McDonald's band. The two would start a long collaboration, doing live shows and recording as both the Louisville Jug Band and (for contractual reasons) the Dixieland Jug Blowers.

She Won't Quit But She'll Slow Down (1927):



He's In The Jailhouse Now (1927):



Hayes and McDonald eventually split as bandmates because of disputes over money (some things never change).

Here are two tacks from Clifford Hayes:

Frog Hop (1929),w/ The Louisville Stompers:



Skip, Skat, Doodle-Do: