jug band

American  

noun

1. a small group of performers who play chiefly blues or folk music on makeshift or very simple instruments, as washboards, harmonicas, kazoos, and empty jugs, the latter being played by blowing across the openings.

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jug band British  

noun

1. a small group playing folk or jazz music, using empty jugs that are played by blowing across their openings to produce bass notes

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Etymology

Origin of jug band

An Americanism dating back to 1930–35

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

jug band

Look, for instance, for a conductor with a clock as a face, dancing luggage and a cicada jug band, among a host of other oddities.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 13, 2026

At age 16, he met Garcia, 21, in Palo Alto, Calif., and they formed a jug band, shifting to electric instruments following the rapid popularity of the Beatles in the U.S.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 11, 2026

As well as 60's psychedelia, the group's albums show the influence of jazz, bluegrass, mainstream pop and even their early days as a jug band.

From BBC ● May 8, 2017

He also delved into the impact the Dead had on Americana, going back to the early 1960s when he formed a jug band with Jerry Garcia.

From The Guardian ● Sep. 25, 2016

He organized dances at his graduate school and managed the Charlatans, one of the first groups to combine rock, folk, country, jug band and blues influences in what became known as the San Francisco sound.

From New York Times ● Dec. 20, 2014