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If you're fed up with that E Chord, here's a brilliant little work around. We're just loving this picture of a Skiffle band and even more so because it features one of our relatives, Russ's Dad - far left. But what is Skiffle? Skiffle is a genre of music with influences from blues, jazz, and American folk music, it’s origins lie in African-American music from the early 20th century. Jug bands performed across the American South with a mix of manufactured and homemade improvised instruments such as the washboard, jugs, washtub bass, cigar-box fiddle, musical saw and comb-and-paper kazoos, as well as acoustic guitar and banjo. The first use of the term on record was in 1925 in the name of Jimmy O'Bryant and his Chicago Skifflers. The term skiffle disappeared from American music culture in the 1940s. A revival in the United Kingdom began in the 1950s and the term Skiffle returned. Lonnie Donegan was considered skiffles most famous performer. British skiffle grew out of the developing post-war British jazz scene, Lonnie Donegan played banjo and performed skiffle music during interval breaks at Jazz gigs. He would sing and play guitar/banjo with accompaniment from improvised instruments like washboard and tea-chest bass in a lively style that emulated early American jug bands. These intervals were listed on posters as "skiffle" breaks, soon the breaks were as popular as the traditional jazz. Without a need for expensive instruments or high levels of musicianship the British skiffle craze grew and was particularly popular among working class males, who could cheaply buy, improvise, or build their own instruments some reacting against the drab austerity of post-war Britain. It has been estimated that in the late 1950s, there were 30,000–50,000 skiffle groups in Britain, see image of one such group ‘The IG Griffle Band’ A large number of British musicians began their careers playing skiffle in this period. These include Van Morrison and British blues pioneer Alexis Korner, also Ronnie Wood, Alex Harvey and Mick Jagger; folk musicians Martin Carthy, John Renbourn and Ashley Hutchings; rock musicians Roger Daltrey, Jimmy Page, Ritchie Blackmore, Robin Trower and David Gilmour; Beat-music successes Graham Nash and Allan Clarke of the Hollies, the Bee Gees from Barry Gibb's skiffle group the Rattlesnakes. Most notably, the Beatles developed from John Lennon's skiffle group the Quarrymen. Take a listen to these fabulous skiffle bands, vintage and current day. Had the pleasure of meeting and hearing The Jive Aces at Newbury RetroFestival a few years back. They are Ukulele fans too! I'm sure they'll be back. We challenge you to listen to these clips not smile! :-) |
AuthorHelen & Russ - music tutors bringing you stories and interesting 'titbits' from the 4 and 6 string musical world Archives
January 2021
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