Panama Limited Jug Band was a late 60's jug-British band blues outfit led by Denis Parker alongside Gary Compton and Brian Strachan.
The group's members included: Denis Parker (vocals), Gary Compton (harmonica), Brian Strachan (guitar), Liz Hanns (vocals), Pete Hozzell (vocals), Ron Needs (mandolin), Anne Matthews (vocals)
Panama Limited Jug Band is named after a Bukka White song (from 1930). The band was based in the Richmond area of London, which at the time was kind of a hotbed for blues (the Crawdaddy Club), especially acoustic style blues. Denis became disenchanted with the music business, leaving the industry.
After the first LP they shortened their name to Panama Ltd by which time Liz Hanns had left and been replaced by Anne Matthews.
Their second album replaced their early jugband sound with a brand of Captain Beefheart influenced prog rock.
Links to Peel[]
Peel first played the group on his radio programme in August 1969 via their self titled debut album, 'Panama Limited Jug Band'. He also had the group do a Night Ride session, made up of cover versions of country blues and jugband material originally recorded in the 1920s and '30s, for his show during that year.
After his death in 2004, it was later found out that he had a copy of the band's debut album in his Record Collection: P. It had the typical gatefold sleeve (designed by Hipgnosis) of a Harvest Records LP, with the liner notes crediting "Jonathan Peel" as producer - nothing to do with Peel himself, although the name may have attracted attention.
Sessions[]
1. Recorded: 1969-07-31. First Broadcast: 20 August 1969
- 38 Plug / Canned Heat / Jailhouse / Going To Germany / Round And Round
Other Shows Played[]
- 13 August 1969: Round And Round (LP - Panama Limited Jug Band) Harvest
- 22 November 1969: (as Panama Limited) Lady Of Shallott (7") Harvest HAR 5010