THe Kitchen Party

Subject: RE: THe Kitchen Party
From: Amos
Date: 14 Nov 05 - 01:58 PM

Hey, we do it often...two or three guys in a back yard with a blues harp and a guitar and mebbe a fiddle. Fine doings, indeed.


A

Subject: RE: THe Kitchen Party
From: Guy Wolff
Date: 14 Nov 05 - 12:15 PM

sorcha ;; yes

Subject: RE: THe Kitchen Party
From: Guy Wolff
Date: 14 Nov 05 - 11:49 AM

This is really about keeping the music "Healthy" . Thats the word Jappanees folk craftsmen use on work that is honest and comes from a maker who is true to his meadium or material and the place he is from .. Getting to an honest place .
                      We have got to keep this form of gathering alive for a ton of reasons but most importantanly to me : for the over all health of traditional music (of all sorts ) . My next door neighbourgh remembers before and just after the second war that for the poorer familys in Litchfield County Connecticut this was the only form of fun they had having so little money to throw away . So kitchen parties are for the neiboughhood as well ..The neibouhood gives back to the whole thing so much!!! .
                  I played a gathering two weeks ago for a man who was brought home from the intensive care unit to say good by to his family and friends. They ahd been a family deep in the north esat dance world for 60 years.. They asked me and Dan Gardella to come play and Lui Rasato of New Milford who has played in square dance bands from the late 30's .Dan did a CD with Dwight Diller .. They were both great .. The history Lui brought to that gathering though and his guitar player was the guest of honors father, Ed munson ( playing great guitar at 88) .. It was the most powerful informal gathering I have ever played at . The guest of honor left the world a week to the hour of the kitchen party .. I will never be the same. It was that beautiful . Connecticut tunes; Marching Through Georgia... Golden Slippers... Grand Father's Clock   Rag time Annei Soldigers Joy   Station Island .....
                   Now Whitby that would be something to get to !!
                   I once played with a batch of Old Time fiddles at a pig killing in North Carolina ( 1970)   . This was a local gathering . New to me .... It was a morning's work and a days playing . Great great music and most tunes I didnt know.. All county vertions of things I did know but the local history of playing in a small town for generations gave the tunes so much DEPTH ..
                   Celabrating the local background to songs and tunes is something we can get from keeping the kitchen party going ... Anyway all the best to all here .. Guy

Subject: RE: THe Kitchen Party
From: Sorcha
Date: 14 Nov 05 - 11:18 AM

Well, most of our kitchens are too small, but we do back yard/carry in parties. Does that count?

Subject: RE: THe Kitchen Party
From: GLoux
Date: 14 Nov 05 - 10:42 AM

JimmyJohnnyJoe, an old-time string band, put out a CD where the cover artwork was of a kitchen party. The band is no longer together, but the CD is a good one.

-Greg

Subject: RE: THe Kitchen Party
From: Splott Man
Date: 14 Nov 05 - 10:27 AM

A bunch of old friends of mine still have occasional spontaneous kitchen ceilidhs. We had a memorable one at Whitby festival a year or so back. The kitchen was about 10x8 with a 6'3 ceiling but we still managed some decent squares and longways dances with 3 musicians crammed into the corner.
Mally was there, though I doubt he'd remember.


Splott Man

Subject: RE: THe Kitchen Party
From: Guy Wolff
Date: 14 Nov 05 - 09:58 AM

Well I just did a search on "Kitchen Party and found this thread I started a long time ago. No Takers then ?? . There is a thread going today on the death of folk music and I wonder if we all just unplugged the tvs and radios and started going to sesions a bit more how much stronger the folk and traditional music world could be.. I think the house concert of today is an out-crop from the older kitchen party idea as well . A kitchen party in every town; once a week !!! My wife goes and plays music in the early music world . They call them " Play-Ins" .. maybe three a year in New Haven . She has three "ensombles as well . NOMAD wakes me up every year and then Im back in our music room with all this music in my head..   More Music More Music !!!!!
             I just got invited to a Kitchen party in New Jersey for Sunday or theres the Porland shanty sing .. Its 200 miles either way !! ... Ah well just ranting here .. I got to get out more is all I know .. All the best . Guy

Subject: THe Kitchen Party
From: Guy Wolff
Date: 16 May 99 - 09:25 PM

In talking about old timey songs I remembered that my faverite local fiddle player used to talk about a time before and just after WW2 when he played a square dance friday and saterday nights but also played "Kitchen Parties" 3 or 4 other nights a week.His wife said she would bring along their new born and they would play out in this fasion 5 days a week.That newborn is a clase freind of mine and about55 years old.....Dose anyone else have storeis of this kind of smaller job and is it still alive anywhere? My best to all ........Guy.....