Jug Free America

Jug Free America was a jug band which existed from 2001-2005. They played a mix of old jug band tunes, early blues/pre-blues, old-time, country, ragtime and acoustic reggae.

Jug Free formed in Oberlin in 2001, playing initially on the college party scene, eventually graduating to local bars on a journey that would eventually send them on a tour of Poland in 2004. Jug Free America moved to Oakland, California in the fall of 2004 and continued playing gigs around the Bay Area through the fall of 2005.

Band Personnel:

Lech Wierzynski - vocal, trumpet, guitar, harmonica - Currently plays in the band The California Honeydrops
Nansamba Ssensalo - vocal, jug, tub
Michael Coleman - vocal, washboard, drums, kazoo - Currently plays in the band Beep!
Harry Bolles - vocal, guitar, slide guitar, harmonica - Currently playing solo/ad hoc gigs
Jacob Groopman - vocal, manjo, guitar, percussion - Currently plays in the band Albino!
Jay Gandhi - bansuri (flute), vocal - Currently playing Indian classical music with various groups
Eli Smith - vocal, banjo, guitar, manjo, harmonica, kazoo - Currently playing solo gigs and as part of the Roots n Ruckus music collective, and hosting the internet radio show Down Home Radio/