Bring together a bunch of fiddlers, throw in several banjos and guitars, back those up with 3 basses, add in a sweet autoharp … and what do you get?… FOOTMAD! We traveled a few miles out of town to play in a Sunday jam session sponsored by a local organization called the Kanawha Valley Friends of Old Time Music and Dance (FOOTMAD). These jams took place on the patio of a local restaurant about 30 miles outside of Huntington. Some of us continued to learn the protocol of an Old Time jam, which is sit in a big circle, pick a key to play in, take turns calling out a song, play the tune over and over until someone (finally) gives the “kick” to end, and then it’s on to the next favorite tune. It was well worth the drive as about 20 musicians participated to play the afternoon away!
Over this weekend we made some additional recordings of “Wayfaring Stranger,” and “Shove That Pig’s Foot a Little Closer to the fire.”