A close to sold out crowd enjoyed the Highwater Jug band’s show at the Wolf’s Den for the Lethbridge Folk Club’s first show of the year. They are calling it quits to pursue other project as of February.
Their first set included most of their self titled 2007 CD. Guitarist/mandolinist/ banjo and jug player/vocalist Tim Williams as well as guitarist/jug player and singer Mark Sadlier-Brown, Suitcase James on muckbucket and acoustic bass, clarinet Cedric Blary on an array of woodwinds and drummer/ banjo/ukulele, banjo-uke player John Rutherford pulled out all the stops, a lot of instruments, an assortment of bells whistles, kazoos, bike horns and plenty of jokes to keep the receptive audience grinning and cheering pretty much every solo.
Williams, Sadlier-Brown and Rutherford traded lead vocals and instruments throughout the first set. Even Suitcase James took lead vocal on a song.
Rutherford sang, one of the show’s highlights, ‘My Ukulele Helps Me Beat the Blues,’ which appeared in the Hank Williams First Nation movie.
Sadlier -Brown had the crowd laughing during ‘Laundromat Blues.’
The band is calling it quits as of February.
e is also featured on. They recorded it with the D -Rangers’ Jaxon Haldane with Jolene Higgins producing.“I’ve got some gigs coming up with Little Miss Higgins because I’m playing on their CD,” Williams said.
This means he won’t be able to play with the band, besides all of the members have multiple gigs and CDs out.
“We’ve all been playing with each other for years,” added Sadlier-Brown who also plays in several Calgary bands including the Alien Rebels. He said the Highwater Jug Band got together to have some fun playing jug band music together and will more than likely play with the other members of the band again.
“We got together, just a couple guys playing together and anyone could join in,’ Sadlier-Brown continued.
Both agreed playing a festival in Summerland with the likes of Geoff Muldaur of the Kweskin Jug Band was a highlight for the group.
They also enjoyed performing at the South Country Fair in Fort Macleod.
Williams is excited about his latest CD “When I Was A Cowboy,” which consists of traditional country songs as well as a new mandolin instructional DVD he is working on.
— By Richard Amery, L.A. Beat Editor
