Although he is primarily known for his innovative and imaginative work in the field of underground comic books, R. Crumb is an avid collector of 78 rpm recordings of blues, jazz, country, string-band, and ethnic music. He has also provided illustrations for numerous album covers, primarily for labels specializing in early American music (Yazoo, Blue Goose, Barrelhouse). His love of roots music has also led him to perform it live with fellow music lovers and record collectors, playing banjo, mandolin, ukulele and sometimes singing.Songs included things like "Singing In The Bathtub".In the early 1970s, Crumb hooked up with fellow cartoonist Robert Armstrong and his friend Allan Dodge and cut some 78s under the moniker, R. Crumb and His Keep On Truckin' Orchestra. When they were offered the chance to record an entire album, the trio became The Cheap Suit Serenaders and the lineup expanded to include occasional members Tom Marion, Bob Brozman, Tony Marcus, and Terry Zwigoff (who would direct such films as Crumb and Ghost World).
The band played songs from the golden age of recording as well as original numbers written in the earlier styles. For a '70s musical outfit, the instrumentation consisted of such atypical items as banjos, mandolins, Hawaiian guitar, accordion, cello, and the musical saw. The group toured around, performing in coffee houses and hunting for old 78s. After three albums, Crumb began to tire of the public exposure involved. He enjoyed playing the music, but his audience was often dominated by comic book fans and pestering journalists.
While seeking out rare sides in Paris during the 1980s, he met singer and guitarist Domenic Cravic. Crumb developed a kinship with Cravic and his circle of musicians, and in 1986 Les Primitifs du Futur (The Future Primitives) were formed. They managed to record Cocktail D'Amour before Crumb had to return home.
The American lifestyle became more and more loathsome for him, and by the onset of the '90s, Crumb had moved to France permanently. He continues to play with Les Primitifs du Futur and has drawn cover art for various French musicians. The rest of the Cheap Suit Serenaders continue to play occasional live sets, including an annual gig at a Berkley coffee house, Freight & Salvage. Crumb reunites with his former bandmates when the opportunity arises, and he joined them for a European tour in 1995.