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Arthur Connor (above right) of Copper Hill has been making fiddles for as long as anyone can remember. The legendary fiddlemaker turned 81 last week and Floyd bluesman Scott Perry threw a party for Connor at his Pickin’ Porch shop on Willis Street.
While Perry cooked hot dogs, area musicians jammed and the sounds of music filled the dirt-lined street in front of the Pickin’ Porch.
“I see the camera you’re using is a Canon,” Connor said as I took his picture. “Did you know that Paganini had a violin called a Canon?”
I didn’t know that and one doesn’t often expect to hear historical lore about an classical composer from a fiddle-maker but Connon’s knowledge of all things music is vast and listening to him tell his stories is like a college-course in musical history.
Connor’s detailed hand-made fiddles often feature elaborate carving like this Ram’s Head (right) but the decoration is just an addition to the sweet sound of his instruments. Other long-time musicians and instrument makers like Stanley Lorton joined Connor to celebrate a life dedicated not only to making music but also to making the instruments that let others make music.

As the weekend fades and the new week starts, we thought we’d take one more look at the Friday Night Jamboree. For more Jamboree photos, click on this slide show.

I love music and a great side benefit of living in Floyd is the opportunity to discover musical talent among the bounty that exists in the area.
Like Brother Wind, a trio and sometimes quartet featuring Michael and Kari Thomas Kovick along with Dave Fason and a rotating case of bass players. I first heard them during FloydFest and while reviewing video of the group remember thinking: “Damn, these folks are good.” Here’s a video sample of their music. They’re worth a listen.

They gather in the street along that stretch of Floyd’s Music Row from the County Store to Cafe del Sol, often spilling over into the parking lots and alleyways. Street musicians, the soul of Friday nights in this Southwestern Virginia town. Some, like fiddler Clyde Williams (above) jam outside before heading inside the Country Store for a gig at the Friday Night Jamboree. Even when he’s not on the bill for inside on Friday Night, Clyde still holds court outside (the Jugbusters occupied his usual slot on this past week’s Jamboree) and both younger and other oldtime musicians (right) join in.
But you don’t have to wander very far to find other impromptu bands along Locust Street. They gather by the entrance to Angels in the Attic, in the parking lot of Mama Lazzardos across the street and in any available ally or open spot on the sidewalk.
Mandolin player and singer Abe Goorskey (below) found a willing jam session near Cafe del Sol for a twilight concert. Street music is part of the tradition of Floyd on Friday nights and just talking Locust Street and taking in the sounds shows why the area is so rich in musical talent. They play because they love it and love of music is what makes it so worthwhile for both musician and audience.

OK, I guess we can milk the Governor Mark Warner visit to Floyd for one more day by showing some of those who grilled the guv with questions about poor conditions in the county nursing home, lousy roads, pedophiles on the loose and the invasion of chain stores (among other things).
Unlike the highly-staged “town meetings” of President George W. Bush, Warner’s questions were not scripted puff pieces from plants in the audience. People wanted to know what the guv would do about things that bother them (and the county nursing home seemed to bother the most).
Yes, it was a photo op and like most photo ops it had a show biz feel to the whole thing but it also gave some plain folk a chance to speak their mind and if there is one thing we know about folks around here, they don’t have any trouble doing just that.