Two of the best jam sessions along The Crooked Road will converge at Heartwood on Thursday, July 28 at 6:30 p.m. for a full evening of bluegrass and old time music making.
The popular Allen Hicks Jam from Nickelsville in Scott County and the Smyth County Jam from Chilhowie will bring dozens of great musicians to Heartwood to give listeners a sample of what they can hear every week at these premiere jam sessions.
“These two jams attract some of the region’s finest musicians because they are so well run,” said Jack Hinshelwood, Crooked Road executive director. “Whether you attend the Allen Hicks Jam on Friday nights or the Smyth County Jam on Monday nights, you’re likely to hear some of the best musicians of The Crooked Road region. We love being able to provide a place for these two jams to come together and share their music.”
No two jams on The Crooked Road are exactly alike, in part because the musicians who perform vary from jam to jam. They also offer different formats, with some jams featuring artists performing from a stage, while others are set up with musicians playing together in less formal arrangements such as sitting in a circle.
“The Allen Hicks and Smyth County jams both offer a stage performance, so that is how we set them up at Heartwood,” said Hinshelwood. “But they usually bring so many great pickers that the whole building becomes one big jam session, with pickers in multiple rooms. The whole building rocks when they are here.”
In addition to the music there will be a showing of the new music video by Lou Reid & Carolina performing their recently released song “The Crooked Road.” The classic 1960 Chevrolet Impala convertible that was used to film the video will be on display at Heartwood that evening.
“We were very fortunate to have connected with Mr. Clell Farmer about using his car in the video,” said Hinshelwood. “When he first brought the car to the video shoot we all just stopped what we were doing and stared. I couldn’t believe how nice looking that car was. I know the band got a kick out of driving it around during the video shoot.”
The music starts at 6:30 p.m. and dinner is available from the Heartwood restaurant which includes its barbecue menu.
Heartwood: Southwest Virginia’s Artisan Gateway is located off I-81 at Exit 14 in Abingdon, and features food, music, and crafts of Southwest Virginia. Admission to the event is free and donations will be accepted to support The Crooked Road’s Traditional Music Education Program.
For more information on The Crooked Road Music Series call (276) 492-2409 or email: info@thecrookedroad.org.
