LPCDreissues: Looking forward to the past

The amazing Jim Kweskin (one of the pillars of the Vanguard label) and his talented jug band are responsible for breathing new life into traditional American blues, country, jazz and ragtime and tying it all together under the "Old Time Music" heading. Characteristic of the jug band is the use of so-called 'poorman's' instruments, which include the kazoo, the harmonica, the washtub bass and the washboard, all of which talented musicians used to imitate the sound of the old time Dixieland bands. "Relax Your Mind", however, features just two musicians from the jug band: the great harmonica player Mel Lyman and multi-instrumentalist Fritz Richmond. This Kweskin album is one of our favourites and contains a beautiful medley of classic ragtimes reinterpreted with all the usual Kweskin irony, plus traditional American songs like "The Cuckoo", "Buffalo Skinners" and tracks by historic bluesmen.