Jug bands strive for "real basic," honest sound

Musician Geoffrey Smith got his instruments from Bartell Drugs (a comb), off eBay (a moonshine jug) and from McLendon Hardware (a washtub and hoe handle).

Who knew you could get so much music out of common objects? Anyone with a jug band did.

The Lowdown Ramblers use all of those objects plus conventional instruments such as a harmonica and guitar.

By day, the Ramblers — David Clay of Snohomish, Tom Baisden of Seattle and Smith, of Everett — have regular jobs. Clay is a toolmaker at Boeing, and Smith drives a forklift there. Baisden is a teacher in the Seattle School District.

But by night, it's the music of the Louisiana delta that captivates them.

It was two years ago that they first went to hear the Kitchen Syncopators at the Tractor Tavern in Seattle's Ballard neighborhood. They were struck by the fresh, honest, acoustic sound of the former New Orleans buskers, who have made a national name for themselves.

"It's like you're at the public market when there's a really good group busking and captivating the crowd," Clay said. "The music crosses from old-time country to blues and some jazz. It's real basic: a washtub bass, a fiddle, sometimes a mandolin, a guitar."

The Syncopators inspired Baisden, Smith and Clay to form the Ramblers, and they'll open for the Syncopators at 9 p.m. Friday at Bubba's Roadhouse in Sultan. Admission is free, though donations will be sought for Gulf Coast relief efforts.

The Syncopators — Frank Lemon, Bob Scarecrow, Slim Nelson, Ryan Donahue and Mike Volker — built a following in New Orleans, weaving ragtime, blues and jazz with Southern roots music. Now touring the U.S. and Europe, they've released five independent recordings since 1999.

Lemon, originally from Lake Charles, La., had played on the streets with the other musicians.

In that kind of musical boot camp, "you get a lot of hours," Lemon said. "It gives you an immediate income while you're working on your chops. You learn how to be a better entertainer. If we weren't a successful street band, the band probably wouldn't exist, although we're off the street now."

At Friday's performance, folks are likely to hear Louis Jordan's "Is You Is or Is You Ain't My Baby," tunes by Mississippi John Hurt and Skip James, and original songs by the Syncopators. In addition, the Syncopators will play the next night at the Tractor Tavern.

"It's been described as Depression-era music," Clay said. "You can imagine yourself sitting at a campfire in a hobo jungle" and making music on the most common objects.

In contrast to the hardscrabble existence of everyday life, Depression-era tunes were often upbeat with funny lyrics and melodies. "Moving Day," a song the Ramblers play, is about a fellow who can't make the rent. He has been evicted, but he gets the last laugh: He leaves with two chickens stolen from the landlord's henhouse.

Clay said the 2000 motion picture "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" renewed interest in roots music.

"It's kind of like the heart and soul of rock and roll, and blues and jazz," he said. "There's an honesty and purity of the music that attracts people — stories about common people and their hard times and their good times."

The common touch fits Bubba's, which opened New Year's Eve 2003. Bubba's serves up mesquite- and alder-smoked barbecue and Louisiana crayfish, and provides easy chairs and a stove for customers. It hosts live music on Fridays and karaoke on Wednesdays and Saturdays.

"To me, it's like going to somebody's living room," Clay said.

"We're family-owned, and that type of music meshes with our atmosphere, a down-home, friendly, good-time business," said owner Duane Deach, who is Clay's nephew. "It's a home away from home."

Diane Wright: 425-745-7815 or dwright@seattletimes.com