Fruit Jar Guzzlers

Lore & Background

In 1928, another old-time musician Cleve Chaffin from Cabell County, West Virginia had supposedly recorded a session with two men named Stevens and Bolar for Gennett Records as Fruit Jar Guzzlers. Chaffin is credited as the writer for many of these recordings, while others are traditional or credited to Stevens and Bolar. The group recorded many sides for Gennett in 1928. Chaffin is said to have played on all the recordings the group made.

Reader's Guide

The Fruit Jar Guzzlers represent a shadowy corner of old-time music history. Their recordings, made in 1928 for Paramount Records, include titles such as 'Stack-O-Lee,' 'Steel Driving Man (John Henry),' and 'Old Joe Clark.' Some of their records were released on Paramount's subsidiary label, Broadway Records, and some were issued under the name Panhandle Boys. It is possible that the group also came from Wayne County, West Virginia, where Cleve Chaffin was from. Their work has been included in various artists compilations such as 'My Rough And Rowdy Ways Volume One' (1998) and 'Old Time Music Of West Virginia' volumes one and two (1999). The group's obscurity and the uncertainty surrounding its membership contribute to its mystique among collectors and historians of early recorded music.

Did You Know?

• The group recorded many sides for Gennett Records in 1928.
• Cleve Chaffin is said to have played on all the recordings the group made.
• Some Fruit Jar Guzzlers records were released on Gennett's subsidiary label, Broadway Records.
• Some of their recordings were released under the name Panhandle Boys.

The Enigma of Identity

Fruit Jar Guzzlers stands as one of the most shrouded ensembles in old-time music history. The group's origins remain tangled in uncertainty, with no definitive account of who exactly performed under the name. What is known is that in 1928, a musician named Cleve Chaffin, hailing from Wayne County, West Virginia, was supposedly involved in a recording session alongside two individuals identified only as Stevens and Bolar. These two names appear as credited writers on the majority of the group's output. Chaffin is believed to have contributed his playing to every side the group cut, though the precise nature of his role—whether he was a full member or a session contributor—remains unclear. The group's geographic roots are similarly uncertain, though the connection to Wayne County, West Virginia, where Chaffin was based, suggests they may have shared that Appalachian home. Decades later, the full identities of Stevens and Bolar have never been conclusively established, leaving the Fruit Jar Guzzlers as a fascinating puzzle in the archive of early American folk recording.

The 1928 Paramount Sessions

The entire recorded output of the Fruit Jar Guzzlers was produced in a single burst of activity during 1928, when the group laid down a substantial number of sides for Paramount Records. The repertoire they captured in the studio reveals a broad cross-section of Appalachian and Southern folk tradition. Their catalog includes well-known ballads such as "Stack-O-Lee," "Cripple Creek," and "Old Joe Clark," alongside work songs and blues like "Steel Driving Man (John Henry)" and "Cool Penitentiary." The list also features more idiosyncratic titles—"Cacklin' Hen," "Fox In The Mountains," "Kentucky Bootlegger," and "Sourwood Mountain"—that paint a vivid picture of rural life, humor, and local geography. Other entries, including "Pity The Tramp," "The Black Sheep Of The Family," and "Yes I'm Free At Last," suggest the group ranged across narrative storytelling, social commentary, and personal reflection. Every one of these sides was cut in that single 1928 period, making the collection a remarkably dense snapshot of one small group's musical world at a particular moment in time.

Labels and Alternate Names

The distribution of the Fruit Jar Guzzlers' recordings illustrates the layered label structure of the 1920s recording industry. While Paramount Records served as the primary outlet for the group's 1928 sessions, not every side appeared under that banner. A portion of the material was issued on Broadway Records, which functioned as a subsidiary imprint of Paramount, likely aimed at a different market segment or price point. Adding to the confusion, some of the group's recordings were released under an entirely different name: the Panhandle Boys. This alternate credit means that for decades, listeners and researchers may have encountered the same musicians without realizing they were hearing the Fruit Jar Guzzlers. The use of multiple labels and a pseudonymous group name complicates any attempt to trace the full extent of the ensemble's commercial footprint. It also reflects a common practice of the era, where small regional groups would record for major labels that then distributed their work across several imprints to maximize reach. The result is a scattered discography that has only gradually been pieced together by collectors and scholars.

Rediscovery Through Compilations

Although the Fruit Jar Guzzlers recorded only in 1928, their music did not simply vanish into obscurity. Beginning in the late 1990s, their sides began appearing on a series of various-artists compilations that reintroduced their work to new generations of listeners. Yazoo Records included their material on "My Rough And Rowdy Ways Volume One" in 1998, while County Records featured them across two volumes of "Old Time Music Of West Virginia" released in 1999. A cassette release titled "Old Country Gospel" on the Vintage78 label also carried their recordings, and in 2006, the three-CD set "Paramount Old Time Recordings" on the JSP label further preserved their output. These reissues served as a vital bridge between the original 78-rpm pressings and modern audiences, ensuring that the group's distinctive blend of balladry, humor, and Appalachian storytelling remained accessible. For a group whose identity is still largely unknown, these compilations have done much to keep the Fruit Jar Guzzlers alive in the collective memory of old-time music fans.