CT Old Timey Acoustic Jam

Feb. 25th Jam & Dance at Sounding Board

2011-12-14T20:57:00.001-05:00

Greetings to all! We are having a jam/family barn dance at The Sounding Board Coffeehouse, (at The Universalist Church) 433 Fern Street in West Hartford on Saturday, February 25th.

We will jam from 4-6 pm and then from 8 - 10:00 we'll play for an old fashioned family barn dance called by Jim Gregory. It would be great if the musicians stay and play for the dance . . . or just dance!

Reel the set, form a square, dance in a circle with everyone there, young and old, short and tall, couples, singles, families, all! Folk dances all taught and called, no experience needed - learn as you go!

Walkin' Up Georgia Row

2011-12-06T08:26:00.001-05:00

Here's a great fiddle tune taught at a recent fiddle workshop by Jane Rothfield, who later performed with Red Hen at the Sounding Board in West Hartford CT. For more info about the band or workshops: http://www.redhenstringband.com/
Concerts at the Sounding Board: http://folknotes.org/
Thanks Jane, the workshop was great!

Walkin' Up Georgia Row

Here's another tune that Jane taught at the workshop.
Walnut Gap - a Snake Chapman tune, Key of G

Fiddle & Banjo Workshop w/Jane Rothfield & David Kiphuth

2011-09-26T08:38:00.000-04:00

Award winning Red Hen Stringband fiddler, tune composer and teacher Jane Rothfield will teach an intermediate-advanced fiddle workshop for fiddlers who can easily learn a tune by ear. She will focus on bowing, rhythm, tone and musicality with an emphasis on how to learn tunes more easily, quickly and make them come alive! Several tunes will be taught, in conjunction with David Kiphuths banjo class with a group jam at the end! Recording or video devices STRONGLY ENCOURAGED!

Red Hen Stringband banjo player and teacher extraordinaire, "Lonesome" David Kiphuth, will teach an intermediate Clawhammer Banjo Class for students who already play in the clawhammer style and are comfortable learning in a group setting. He will review left and right hand techniques with a focus on the Round Peak Style and will help students learn how to "fancy up" tunes. David will teach several tunes and the class will join the fiddle workshop class for a group jam at the end! Handout/Tablature will be available-recording or video devices STRONGLY ENCOURAGED!

Jane and David will be joined by fellow Red Hen Stringband guitarists Allan Carr and Linda Schrade to round out the workshop/ensemble back up work.

PRE REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED (and pre payment would be nice also). Please forward your name and email to Janet Steucek at folkie43@sbcglobal.net if interested. We will be in touch with you if there are not enough people signed up. Each workshop is $25. Workshops are on October 15 from 3:30-5:30 at the Sounding Board Coffeehouse in West Hartford with a concert by Red Hen Stringband at 8:00 p.m.

Farmer's Market

2011-09-21T22:14:00.001-04:00

We had a great turnout at our Sept. 16th jam which was held on a Friday. Next jam will be Tues. Oct. 4th. Janet & I invited Peter and Mike to join us at the Hill-Stead Museum Farmer's Market on Sunday. Great time and it was fun to play music for the wonderful shoppers. We had a few people playing the limberjacks and an elderly lady tried out the spoons. She was pretty good at it!
Thanks, Mike, for the video clip.

2011-08-29T16:52:00.001-04:00

Seventeenth Annual
Fiddlin' Bear
Old-Time Musicians' Gathering
Labor Day Weekend
2011
Lake Genero Park - Hamlin, PA

A four-day musicians' get-together, a festival without a stage. A nice, shady spot beside a lake to camp and make music. Great campsites, open or wooded, fire-pits with seasoned hardwood, showers and flush toilets, a children's playground, a pocket-sized lake for swimming, And... there's no hired entertainment. All the music and dancing is spontaneous, just us folks jamming and carrying on.

Don't miss the Seventeenth Annual Fiddlin' Bear Gathering at Lake Genero!

2011-07-06T22:23:00.002-04:00

Celebrating our 1st Year Anniversary! Join us at our next Old Timey Jam on Aug. 2nd.

2011-05-05T17:19:00.006-04:00

Come leave your inhibitions behind and join us for a good ole time with "CT Old Timey Acoustic Jam!" All musicians welcome, even if you haven't come to the jam. We'll be playing common old time tunes that we've played at the jam.

Where: St. John's Episcopal Church, Bristol, CT

When: Saturday, June 4, 2010, 6:30 - 9:00 pm

Caller: Bob Livingston

Donation: $10

Location Information:

851 Stafford Avenue

Bristol, CT 06010

Texas Gales (Gals)

2011-04-06T14:45:00.006-04:00

We're back to the first Tuesday jam on May 3rd at the Pine Loft. Slow jam from 6-7pm then the regular jam from 7-9pm. Come join us!
I've been working on Texas Gales, nice tune, 3 parts in the key of C.

2011-03-02T14:47:00.000-05:00

We're switching to Friday, April 1st for our next jam at the Pine Loft. 6-7pm for the slow jam, 7-9pm regular jam.

Here's a few tunes from our jam on March 1st.

Colored Aristocracy - (for Ken) Played in G.

Chuck-A-Luck - Another tune brought by Keith, comes from the fiddling of Sam McCracken (1888-1972) of Athens, Alabama, thanks! a fun jam tune. Key of G.

Angeline the Baker - A favorite tune in D.

Sail Away Ladies - Another great tune, key of G.

Jam on March 1st - it's almost spring!

2011-02-27T00:18:00.006-05:00

We had a great turnout at the Jam/Family Barn Dance at the Sounding Board last night. Check out the video clip from the dance. Please join us again on Tuesday, March 1st, back at the Pine Loft in Berlin. We'll start the first hour (6-7pm) with a slow jam then proceed with the regular jam from 7 - 9pm.
Hope to see you there!

Old Time Jam & Family Dance

2011-02-14T20:05:00.000-05:00

Greetings to all! Our next jam has changed dates & location. We are having a jam/family barn dance at The Sounding Board Coffeehouse, (at The Universalist Church) 433 Fern Street in West Hartford on Saturday, February 26.

We will jam from 6-8 pm and then from 8 - 10:00 we'll play for an old fashioned family barn dance called by Bob Livingston. All playing musicians will be admitted for free and everyone else will be charged a mere $5.00 admittance fee.

Reel the set, form a square, dance in a circle with everyone there, young and old, short and tall, couples, singles, families, all! Folk dances all taught and called, no experience needed - learn as you go!

Cold Frosty Morning - 12/7/2010

2010-12-10T11:45:00.000-05:00

2010-12-08T19:05:00.001-05:00

Benefit dance for: American Cancer Society/Relay for Life of Haddam-Killingworth

Grab Your Partner, Swing 'er Round, Promenade and Help Stamp Out Cancer!

Where: First Congregational Church, Haddam, CT

When: Saturday, January 15, 2010, 7:00 - 10:00 pm

Caller: Bob Livingston

Donation: $15 Adult; $10 Child (under 12) or $40 per family

Location Information:

905 Saybrook Rd.

Haddam, CT 06438

"Breakin' Up Christmas" by Bruce Molsky and Mike Seeger

2010-12-08T18:21:00.001-05:00

Crow Creek - cross tuned AEAE

2010-11-16T12:52:00.002-05:00

Here's an AEAE tune called Crow Creek and it's pretty easy to pick up. Listen to Andy Reiner play the tune. He learned this tune from Rachel Maloney & Chris Turner. Thanks Andy!

Hawks and Eagles

2010-10-21T10:32:00.001-04:00

Here's a favorite jam tune called Hawks and Eagles, key of D. Played by Alan Kaufman, a terrific old time fiddler and author of the book/CD "Beginning Old Time Fiddle". Try it!

What is Old Timey Music?

2010-09-15T11:28:00.008-04:00

Many of the people attending our jam have no idea what this means. There are some great explanations (although lengthy) on the web such as What is Old Time Music?, wiki/Old-time Music and Old Time Music.
The best explanation is shown in the video clip from a documentary called "Why Old Time". This film looks at the living heritage of music from the mountains of Appalachia that has spread all across the world.

Texas Gals (aka Gales) Oldtime jammin' in Georgia, with some flatfooting. Great tune!

Squirrel Heads and Gravy by Chris Germain.

Jam on Tuesday, 9/14/10

2010-09-13T13:19:00.003-04:00

Great turnout at our first jam in July.

Come join the fun at The Pineloft Cafe on the Berlin Turnpike in Berlin, CT on the 2ND TUESDAY in September - September 14 from 7-9 pm. BUT starting at 6 pm, we will have a slow jam to let folks learn and practice some tunes at a slow pace. Bring those fiddles, banjos, guitars, mandolins, whatever and come on down and jam for a couple of hours. All ages and levels welcome. Come early for a bite to eat and a beer (excellent food) and then get ready to tune up those instruments and play some foot-stompin' old timey music. Here's a list of tunes that we'll choose from during the slow jam. Feel free to suggest your favorite tune!

Angeline the Baker (D)   Arkansas Traveler (D)   Barlow Knife (D)   Buck Mountain (D)

Cherokee Shuffle (A)or(D) Chinese Breakdown (D)   Colored Aristocracy (G)

Cluck Old Hen (Adorian)   Flop Eared Mule (D/A)   Fly Around My Pretty Little Miss (D)

Golden Slippers (G)    Grey Cat on an Old TN Farm (D) Kitchen Girl (Dm)

Liberty (D)   Mississippi Sawyer (D) Old Molly Hare (D)   Over the Waterfall (D)

Saint Anne's Reel (D) Sals got Mud Between her Toes (D) Sandy Boys (A)

Seneca Square Dance (D) Shove the Pigs Foot a Little Further in the Fire (G)

Squirrel Heads & Gravy (G) Soldier's Joy (D)   Turkey in the Straw (G)

Uncle Joe aka Hop High Ladies (G) Whiskey Before Breakfast (D)