The Alchemy Old Time Jam, which takes place on alternate Sundays, will now run from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m. The time slot is two hours earlier than the previous 5:00 to 7:00 pm schedule.

The jam, which is Madison’s only open old-time session, takes place at The Alchemy Cafe, 1980 Atwood Avenue in Madison.  It was founded two years ago by clawhammer banjo sorceress Lori Nitzel and is currently hosted by the far-less-talented Scott Knickelbine. The jam was featured last year in The Onion’s Decider section.

Old time sessions focus on traditional American fiddle and dance tunes, with most of the instruments playing in unison (with the exception of rhythm guitar).  Singing is rare and is usually used to punctuate the tunes. Typical melodies include Old Joe Clark, Flop-Eared Mule, Angeline the Baker, and Shove The Pigs Foot A Little Further In The Fire.

The next Alchemy Old Time Jam is this coming Sunday, February 14th,  starting at 3:00 pm. If you’d like to be added to the reminder list, email Scott Knickelbine at scottk@lcs-impact.com.