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

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

The jug band sound came from Paul King blowing into a glass bottle while playing banjo.

From The Guardian • Aug. 10, 2020

The Otter Band’s instrumentation contained a classic Mississippi jug band line-up: percussionist, a wash-tub bassist, a handmade-guitar player and a breathy leader who blew, flute-like, across the lip of a jug.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 15, 2018

At first the band played a mix of British folk, bluegrass and old-time jug band music.

From BBC • Apr. 1, 2017

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