MEMBERS:

The Muddy Basin Ramblers are David Chen, originally from Chillicothe, Ohio, on vocals, guitars, mandolin and banjo; Tim Hogan, of California, on washboard and percussion; TC Lin, originally from the US but now a proud Taiwanese citizen, on washtub bass, baritone, and trumpet; Cristina Paradise, of Scranton, PA, on violin, mandolin, and various wind instruments; Zach Paradise, of Scranton, PA, on whistles, saxophone, and ukulele, Conor Prunty, of London, England, on harmonica, washtub bass, and ukulele; Will "Slim" Thelin, from Omaha, Nebraska, on jug, tap shoes, kazoos, trombone, harmonica, and vocals.

What is the "Muddy Basin"? 

And who are these Ramblers?  

Some more lore...

The Ramblers are a group of seven US and UK expats, many of whom have lived in Taipei, Taiwan (aka Ihla Formosa) since the 1980s. They bonded through a shared experience of living in a foreign land, beer-fueled jams in the Formosan wilderness, and a love for all roots music. The "Muddy Basin" is the band's affectionate nickname for their adopted home. (Taipei is located in a geographical basin; it rains a lot there; the band used to spend their free trampling around outdoors, instruments slung over their shoulders, lugging along plastic bags full of Kirin and Asahi beer). 

A "skiffle band" at heart, the Ramblers cut their teeth playing pre-war blues and standards by the Memphis Jug Band, the Dixieland Jug Blowers, and the washboard jazz bands of the 1920s and 30s. Then they started spiking the bowl with their own bathtub gin, tailoring these sounds, along with some other influences, to create their own original music.  

Little did these Ramblers know when they began in the early 2000s that they would help start a craze for swing music retro-culture in Taiwan, that one of their original songs would be featured in a commercial for Nissan, or that one of their CDs would even get nominated for a Grammy (best packaging in 2013, 2015 and 2024 and the music ain't too shabby either!). 

The "band" started out as a group of beer-drinking buddies who met on weekends to jam in public parks and the subtropical wilderness surrounding Taipei. With some prodding by their "Jug Band Captain," David Chen, they moved on to playing bars and clubs, and eventually major music festivals and events in Taiwan, cultivating a loyal following of both expats and locals. 

The more the Ramblers rambled, the more they unexpectedly found themselves in fun and cool situations. In 2004 Michelle Shocked came to Taipei for a few gigs, and the Ramblers wound up being her backing band. In 2015, they sojourned to Japan to meet their jug band brethren across the sea, headlining the Yokohama Jug Band Festival. In 2017, they played for an audience of 10,000 at the National Concert Hall's Summer Jazz Fest.  

When the Ramblers play, all have a good time -- kids like it, young folks like it, old folks like it, and folks inbetween, too. Even the President of Taiwan visibly enjoyed it when we had the honor of playing at an official state gathering.

"Jug band music? In Taiwan? What?" The Ramblers get that response a lot from expats and foreign visitors in Taiwan. American visitors find themselves "transported back home," while locals are often surprised and charmed by the "down-home, homemade" instruments -- the washboard and "Formosa Fiddle," a washtub bass made of one of the ubiquitous orange and green plastic tubs found in Taiwanese hardware stores.  

The "Muddy Basin" is an inseparable part of the music. After years of jamming in parks and bars, the band decided to try something beyond re-hashing and reinterpreting the old tunes (as wonderful as they are) and started playing their own material -- inspired by imagination and life on Ihla Formosa. But no matter what they play or do, it's pure joy for all involved!

LISTEN TO US ANYTIME ANYWHERE