Even Dozen Jug Band
Formed in 1963 by Peter Siegel and Stefan Grossman. Renowned in their respective fields, namely bluegrass and blues, the two musicians brought several colleagues into the line-up to create a mutually satisfying style once punningly referred to as ‘jug-grass’. THE EVEN DOZEN JUG BAND, released in January 1964, was their sole recorded legacy, but the ensemble is better recalled as an important meeting point for several influential figures. Grossman and Siegel aside, the line-up also included John Benson, better known as John Sebastian, Maria D'Amato (later Maria Muldaur), Steve Katz, a future member of the Blues Project and Blood Sweat And Tears, and Joshua Rifkin, who subsequently acquired fame for his interpretations of Scott Joplin's piano rags. It should be noted, however, that not all of these artists appear on all of the songs. The Jug Band's brief tenure ended in disagreement between those who wished to maintain the group's ‘fun’ status and those who wished to assume a more professional approach. The split allowed the above individuals to pursue a more independent path.