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Chasin’ Gus’ Ghost is a documentary film on the history of Jug Band
Music. It traces the roots of American music beginning with Gus Cannon
and Cannon’s Jug Stompers, The Memphis Jug Band and the Dixieland
Jug Blowers from the 1920’s, and weaves a tapestry through interviews,
live performances, archival footage, and photographs showing their
influence on the ever-popular folk and rock movements of the 1960’s.
The movie is written and directed by independent filmmaker, Todd Kwait,
and includes interviews and live performances by John Sebastian from
the Lovin’ Spoonful, Jim Kweskin, Geoff Muldaur, Bill Keith, Maria Muldaur,
and the late Fritz Richmond from the influential Jim Kweskin Jug Band,
Bob Weir from the Grateful Dead, Charlie Musselwhite, Paul Rishell and
Annie Raines plus many more artists who were influenced by the great
jug band musicians from our past.
This movie is a historical retrospective that spans the globe and honors
many great talents from yesterday and today. Filming for Chasin’ Gus’
Ghost took the crew to Japan, Sweden, and Kingston, Ontario. Closer to
home, filming took place in Northern California, Woodstock, New York,
Portland, Oregon, Memphis and western Tennessee, Cambridge, Massachu-
setts, Louisville, Kentucky and Cleveland, Ohio.
f i l m s y n o p s i sezz ie f i lms 1 . 0
Todd Kwait is a lawyer and businessman with a lifelong passion for film.
This project, which he wrote, directed and produced, is his first film. Todd
is on the board of Independent Pictures in Cleveland, Ohio and is active
in many trade organizations relating to his manufacturing business.
f i lmmake r b i o2 . 0
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a d o c u m e n t a r y f i l m w r i t t e n + d i r e c t e d b y t o d d k w a i t
chas in ’ gus ’ ghost
Nevessa Production, Inc.Established in 1978 by Chris Anderson. Nevessa provides a diverse set of
production services for the music and corporate industries and has a
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a d o c u m e n t a r y f i l m w r i t t e n + d i r e c t e d b y t o d d k w a i t
chas in ’ gus ’ ghost
A Tokyo gathering for a jug mate
by Susan Chaityn LebovitsBoston Sunday GlobeSunday, April 9, 2006
Newton’s best-known musical claim to fame is Yo-Yo Ma, but abig party halfway around the world reminds us of another musicalgreat: washtub bassist and jug player Fritz Richmond. Last weekmusicians, friends, and 800 fans paid tribute to Richmond, whodied of lung cancer five months ago at the age of 66.
“Fritz Richmond Tribute in Tokyo — A Jug Band Extravaganza”featured Richmond’s former mates in the Jim Kweskin Jug Ban,including John Sebastian of Lovin’ Spoonful fame, Geoff Mulaur,and Jim Kweskin himself. The band’s heyday was in the 1960s whenit recorded several albums and appeared frequently on nationaltelevision.
The Tokyo tribute was filmed for a documentary on jug bands byTodd Kwait, an American independent film producer. The film wasin the works before Richmond died; in fact, it was Kwait’s urgingthat the band went to Japan, where the music that ignited Appalaciain the 1920s is catching fire today.
Fritz Richmond grew up as John B. Richmond Jr. and graduatedfrom Newton High School in 1958. Shortly afterward, he and twofriends, also named John, made their first washtub bass and launchedthe fold band The Hoppers.
Richmond became a regular on the Cambridge-Boston folk musicscene. As word of his proficiency on the washtub bass spread, hewas to play with The Charles River Valley Boys, Tom Rush, andMuldaur.
“When I was asked to record for Vanguard in 1963, Fritz was onthe West Coast,” Kweskin recalled in an e-mail from Japan. “I calledhim and asked him to please come back and play his washtub andlearn to play the jug.”
Richmond did just that and teamed up with Muldaur, Bob Siggins,and David Simon. They played gigs for three months and then hitthe studio to make the first Jim Kweskin Jug Band album,“Unblushing Brassiness.”
Over the years, the band featured Bill Keith on banjo, Mel Lymanon harmonica, Richard Greene on fiddle, Maria D’Amato on vocalsand kazoo, Rex Rakish on percussion and vocals, and Bruno Wolfeon vocals.
Richmond played may types of jugs, including plastic, crockery,and stove pipe.
“His washtub playing remains the gold standard on that instrument,”Kweskin said. “I have never heard anyone come close to his abilityto play accurate notes. Almost everyone else who plays it justthumps.”
Richmond is also known for his eyewear. He has been credited withpopularizing granny glasses, the wire-rimmed spectacles that tookoff in the ’60s.
“While playing the jug, he would often get dizzy from hyper-ventilating,” Kwait said in a phone interview. “When he looked atthe microphone, his eyes would appear cross-eyed, so he decidedto create spectacles with cobalt blue glass that he’d found at afriend’s apartment in California. Ultimately, John Sebastian andJohn Lennon picked it up.”
Richmond later headed back West and worked as a sound engineerfor such stars as Jackson Browne and Bonnie Raitt. He then movedup to Portland, Ore., where he taught recording classes and playedwith The Metropolitan Jug Band and Fritz Richmond’s BarbecueOrchestra.
One of his washtub basses is in the collection of the SmithsonianInstitution.
In Japan, Richmond enjoys even higher status.
“My last tour of Japan was with Fritz,” Muldaur said in an e-mailfrom Japan. “He is revered in Japan; he is now a Jug Kami...a spiritdeity.”
To listen to Fritz Richmond with Jim Kweskin, Tom Rush, and CharlesRiver Valley Boys, visit www.artistdirect.com, enter Fritz Richmond,and click links. There will be a local tribute to Richmond April 16at Club Passim in Cambridge featuring Kweskin, Muldaur, JohnSebastian, the Charles River Valley Boys, and more.
For more information, visit www.clubpassim.orgor call 617-492-7679.
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e z z i e f i l m s l l c2 3 2 3 0 c h a g r i n b o u l e v a r d • s u i t e 3 4 0 • c l e v e l a n d . o h i o 4 4 1 2 2
2 1 6 . 5 9 5 . 1 6 2 6 pho w w w . t h e j u g
2 1 6 . 5 7 7 . 5 0 6 3 mbl b a n d m o v i e . com
a d o c u m e n t a r y f i l m w r i t t e n + d i r e c t e d b y t o d d k w a i t
chas in ’ gus ’ ghost
a d o c u m e n t a r y f i l m w r i t t e n + d i r e c t e d b y t o d d k w a i t
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. . . a h i s t o r i c a l
r e t r o spec t i v e t h a t
spans the g lobe &
honors many grea t
talents from yesterday
& today.
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an ezzie films production todd + carol kwaitin association with nevessa productions + john sebastian
john sebastian • bob weir • (the voice of) taj mahal • geoff muldaur •bill keith • jim kweskin • fritz richmond • maria muldaur • del goldfarb• david grisman • charlie musselwhite • paul rishell + annie raines
executive producer john sebastian producer todd kwaitassociate producer carol kwait editor josh telsonwritten + directed by todd kwait
chas in ’ gus ’ ghost
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2 1 6 . 5 7 7 . 5 0 6 3 mbl b a n d m o v i e . com