Thanks fir the link, Neil...

Mr. Othar, as folks 'round Gravel Springs called him, was someone I was plannin' on meeting on my second pilgrimage to Mississippi but unfortunately I planned that trip for May of that year and Mr. Othar died the February just a day after one of his daughters died...

But I did visit with his peoples while I was there and invited to a "picnic" where I was first introduced to fife and drum music... Also introduced to some forms of dancin' that I really can't talk about but that folks do no matter how old they are... Whew...

Now every August Mr. Othat would roast a goat and have boi ol' picnic and folks would come from every and anywhere to be there and play music and swap stories... Stories are very much part of the north Mississippi hill country music tradition... The people there still hold an anual "Goat Roast" at Mr. Othar's farm and folks still come and carry on the tradition...

More on Mr. Othar later...

B~