HMR Project: History of Music & Modern Recording

Noah Lewis

Birth of the Blues: Noah Lewis

L to R: Gus Cannon / Ashley Thompson / Noah Lewis

Noah Lewis was a jug band musician who played mouth harp. Indeed, he could play two at a time, one by mouth, the other by nose. Lewis was born on 3 September 1891 in Henning, Tennessee, which he left for Memphis as a teenager, there to meet and perform with Ashley Thompson who was three years younger. Lewis was sixteen when he met Gus Cannon, the three to form a circle often working together for the next twenty years before recording as Cannon's Jug Stompers on January 30, 1928: 'Minglewood Blues' / 'Madison Street Rag' (Victor 21267) and 'Big Railroad Blues' / 'Springdale Blues' (Victor 21351).

'Minglewood Blues' Noah Lewis (harmonica) w Gus Cannon's Jug Stompers

Lewis' first-known recording to see issue

30 Jan 1928 at the Memphis Auditorium in TN Matrix 41803-2 Victor 21267

Banjo / jug: Gus Cannon Guitar / vocal: Ashley Thompson

Composition: Noah Lewis

'Viola Lee Blues' Noah Lewis (harmonica) w Gus Cannon's Jug Stompers

20 Sep 1928 at the Memphis Auditorium in TN Matrix 47066 Victor 38523

Banjo / jug: Gus Cannon Banjo / guitar: Elijah Avery

Kazoo: Hosea Woods Vocal: Noah Lewis

Composition: Noah Lewis

'Devil In the Woodpile' Noah Lewis (harmonica)

2 Oct 1929 in Memphis TN Matrix 56338 Victor V-38581

Composition: Noah Lewis

'Like I Want to Be' Noah Lewis (harmonica)

26 Nov 1930 in Memphis TN Matrix 64734 Victor 23336

Composition: Noah Lewis

Lewis recorded for Victor with his Noah Lewis Jug Band in 1930 as well. That group also backed Mrs. Van Zula Carter Hunt (vocals) as the Carolina Peanut Boys consisting of Sleepy John Estes (guitar), Yank Rachel (mandolin) and Ham (Hambone) Lewis (jug). Ham and Noah are nowhere mentioned to be related.