Tennessee Mafia Jug Band’s Fifth Album Honors the Memory of Lester Armistead

Last month, Tennessee Mafia Jug Band released their fifth album last month. Lester’s Loafin’ Lounge (out July 24) marks the band’s first since founding member Lester Armistead passed away from cancer in January.

Mike Armistead, Lester’s son and the band’s singer and guitarist, says this album was already started before his father got sick. “We just wanted to make good music,” Mike says, adding they sought to record songs they would find pleasing to their ears.

Tennessee Mafia Jug Band is made up of Leroy Troy, Dan Kelly,  Ernie Sykes, Mike Armistead and songwriter Mike Webb. The title track of the new disc is an original song. Lester’s Loafin’ Lounge is a real place, located on the Armistead property in Goodlettsville, Tennessee. It has played host to many “pickin’ parties” and Opry stars, movie stars, and even rock stars. The building was originally an old country store, but the store hasn’t been in operation since Dec. 11, 1934, when its owner was killed over moonshine.  The Armistead family took ownership of the building in the 1970s.

In addition to the original songs recorded for the album, the band also looked for lesser-known songs and put their own touch on some tunes with which fans might be familiar. Armistead said one of his favorite songs on the disc is “Ole Slew Foot.” Another that fans should recognize is “Lonesome, Onry and Mean,” a song that was a major hit for Waylon Jennings in 1973. Armistead says he’s a Jennings fan, and he’s not sure if Jennings’ family has heard the song. He doesn’t know Shooter Jennings or his mother personally.

Lester can be heard in a bonus track, which is a demo version of a song he had been working on many years ago. Mike said his father played the song for Cowboy Jack Clement, who later got sick and passed away.

Lester’s Loafin’ Lounge was recorded at Fry Pharmacy in Old Hickory, Tennessee. Unlike many of today’s recording studios, Fry Pharmacy is an open-air studio, as it doesn’t have a control room. Instead, the producers and engineers work with the artists in the tracking room.

This CD marks the first time Tennessee Mafia Jug Band has worked with Eric Heatherly in a producer-artist relationship. Heatherly makes a guest appearance on the album, too. Othe, as do Marty Stuart, “Handsome” Harry Stinson, Hargus “Pig” Robbins, Kayton Roberts, and George Harper.

The band’s relationship with Stuart goes back many years. Lester’s Loafin’ Lounge was where Stuart recorded what could be considered the pilot for his popular show on RFD-TV. The guests on that first show included the Sullivans, Tennessee Mafia Jug Band, and Old Crow Medicine Show.

Since then, Tennessee Mafia Jug Band holds the distinction of being featured on every season of Stuart’s long-running television show.  “Marty Stuart is like family,” Armistead says, adding that Stuart believes in what they are doing. “He’s done so much for us.” 

In addition to appearing regularly on Stuart’s TV show, the band received the Trailblazer award at Uncle Dave Macon Days. The award is given to artists for their contributions to old time music and for the preservation of traditional music. Armistead says he’s a big Uncle Dave Macon fan. “I’m a big fan of what they have been doing down there with the festival [too],” he adds. The festival had discontinued their jug band competition several years ago, but it has again become a part of the event. The award given to the winner of the competition has been renamed the Lester A. Armistead Award, in honor of Mike’s father.

Mike said they have a tremendous fan base.”Our fans know more about us than promoters do,” he said. He encourages fans to let promoters know about the band and help them spread the word.

Pictured L-R Standing: Ernie Sykes, Dan Kelly, Mike Webb

L-R Seated: Leroy Troy, Mike Armistead