15th Annual Battle of the Jugbands Coming Soon

It's that time of year. The end of May means a lot of things for a lot of people. Memorial Day weekend, Indianapolis 500, Dylan Days (Hibbing) and Dylan Fest (Duluth), and here in the Twin Ports it's the annual Battle of the Jugbands.

Hard to believe we're seeing the fifteenth year of The Battle. Presented by Coho Hand Cream for Men and Icehouse Studios, the Battle of the Jug Bands will be held once more at the Amazing Grace Cafe in Duluth's Canal Park from 1:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. May 29. There will also be a Jug Band Preview Jam the night before from 7:30 p.m. to 10:00 p.m., so there will be plenty of music to enjoy.

The Battle was essentially the brain child of Elliot Silberman who seems to have two great passions in life, music and fishing. (He's also an artist.) Even though there is no experience required to be part of the jug band experience, Elliot probably has six decades of experience making music and is a talent musician in his own right. I would not be surprised to learn he formed his first music group before elementary school, talking his friends into playing spoons, bowls and bicycle spokes.

The invitation has gone out into the music community from Blind Willie inviting one and all to form a band to compete in the annual Battle Winner of the event will walk away with the travelling Yid-wegian Krumkake Iron, a greatly coveted prize here in the Northland. Your band will have its name engraved on this trophy, no doubt equivalent in value to having a Super Bowl ring in another well known competition.

Jugband music is essentially poor man's jazz. Instruments range from washtub bass, kazoos and spoons to saw, pots, pans and other kitchen utensils. Traditional instruments all join in accompaniment, including harmonicas, guitars, mandolin, fiddles and even an occasional clarinet or trombone. Oh yes, and of course there are the jugs.

So... spread the word. It's doesn't take much to form a band. Elliot will even furnish your band with wash tub bass, jug and washboard players. Each band will have twenty minutes to wow the crowd which assembles here like the mob that awaits Punxsutawney Phil to do his thing on groundhog day.

PHOTO Captions
Top, L to R: De Elliot Bros. in 2009 Christmas show at Amazing Grace
Left: Elliot in his Studio.
Right bottom: Elliot and Ted making some lovely sounds.

For more information visit Icehouse Studios at www.ElliotBrothers.com

Last Night At Icehouse Studios

"Without music life would be a mistake." ~Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche

Last night after work I went to Icehouse Studios to make a little music with Elliot Silberman, a kindred spirit who is likewise an artist, musician and lifelong fan of Mr. Bob Dylan. Maybe one difference between us is that Elliot's made a living doing these things (kudos!), and this is what I do just because I can't help myself. Music really is best appreciated when you can be part of it. If I may quote Carlyle here, "All deep things are song. It seems somehow the very central essence of us, song; as if all the rest were but wrappages and hulls!"

For part of the session last night we played a few Dylan tunes including Pressing On, The Man In Me and Three Angels, plus fragments from Boots of Spanish Leather, Went To See The Gypsy and Day of the Locusts, and chord progressions and the opening verse from Ballad of a Thin Man. The trigger event was the release of Bob Dylan's latest album, Together Through Life, and yet another Dylan photo on the cover of the Rolling Stone.

At one point Elliot tried to give me a little lesson on how to play a Hohner button-box accordion. From what I've read, there's some button-box accordion on Dylan's new CD, giving some of the songs a Tex-Mex flavor. But most of the time, it was Elliot on guitar, myself on piano, a lot of crooning and some good vibes in the air.

Just so you know, we have a few gigs approaching now. You might say I'm getting to be a pawn in his game, having had the privilege of performing with the band a few times. I sing harmonies, play blues harp, rattle some bones and shuffle a bit on the washboard.

The big gig coming up fast is the annual Battle of the Jug Bands at Amazing Grace, downstairs in the DeWitt Seitz Building, Memorial Day Weekend. Put it on your calendars. You owe it to yourself to be there. If you like down home music, it's an event you won't want to miss.

In the meantime, here are a few more quotes to about music to ponder and enjoy. And if you ever want to join us some evening, be sure to let us know. I think you'll be more than welcome.

"A painter paints pictures on canvas. Musicians paint their pictures on silence." ~Leopold Stokowski

"Music washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life." ~Berthold Auerbach

"If the King loves music, it is well with the land." ~Mencius

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