"Shove the Pigs Foot a Little Farther in the Fire", Ungar, Mason & Molsky

The Institute of Musical Traditions (IMT) is an independent nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization that depends on donations from listeners and viewers like you! You can support at paypal.me/imtfolk or learn more at www.imtfolk.org!
"Shove the Pigs Foot a Little Farther in the Fire", performed by Jay Ungar & Molly Mason (www.jayandmolly.com) with Bruce Molsky. In concert at the Institute of Musical Traditions (www.imtfolk.org) Concert, Silver Spring, MD, USA on February 28th, 2011.
Jay Ungar & Molly Mason achieved international acclaim when their performance of Jay's composition, Ashokan Farewell, became the musical hallmark of Ken Burns' The Civil War on PBS. The soundtrack won a Grammy and Ashokan Farewell was nominated for an Emmy. The piece was originally inspired by Jay & Molly's Ashokan Fiddle & Dance Camps in New York's Catskill Mountains, which are still going strong today.
Jay and Molly are musicians of enormous talent who draw their repertoire and inspiration from a wide range of American musical styles-19th-century classics, lively Appalachian, Cajun, and Celtic Fiddle tunes, and favorites from the golden age of country and swing-along with their own songs, Fiddle tunes, and orchestral compositions.
As always, we gratefully thank the Maryland State Arts Council (www.msac.org), the Montgomery County Arts & Humanities Council (www.creativemoco.com), and all our other donors, supporters, and volunteers.
Sound: Art Isaacs, Ben Majchrzak, Dave Eisner, Dave Richardson
Editing: Ralph Lillie
Camera: Laura Christpolos, Becca Schwarz, Ralph Lillie
Lighting: Chris Campanella
© 2011 Institute of Musical Traditions

[@williambrennan8197]

Two absolutely great fiddle players and Molly is sooooo talented on many instruments.

[@robinmatyjasek7390]

Doesn't come much better than this. In fact, it doesn't come any better than this... And to cap it all, alongside these two fiddle gods, Molly Mason is the absolute gold picking standard to which few reach...

[@siggesaltens2663]

IT IS RAINING ON MY SOUL.

[@teresasugden466]

Now that's great music! Gets me tapping my feet and out of my chair dancing across the kitchen floor!!! My dad played this kind of music, fiddle and guitar. Brings back the best memories of him.

[@MiketheNerdRanger]

I love this a *lot* more than I thought I would

[@MrBillfitz]

Miss Molly has played guitar before . Beautiful music congrats to all three musicians

[@franksabatino7576]

Glorious harmony! Deserves a wider audience.

[@apiarygirl]

I play guitar and piano, favoring being the accompanist.... when I hear Molly's guitar playing, I knew she was really playing a piano in her mind and the guitar with her fingers. She is soooo very musical.

[@Kathy-ix8qw]

I am just an ardent lover of fiddle tunes. I LOVE this!!

[@JanetBeth13]

Twin fiddles doesn't get better! A lovely trio, too!

[@JohnDGent]

Three of my favorite musicians playing one of my favorite tunes. I also learned this one from listening to Bruces version.

[@18hoss]

Absolutely love it!!!

[@smaeldelaunay7182]

Magnifique merci

[@safeandsound100]

Well done! Very tasteful fiddlin' and I, being a guitar player, was delighted to hear Molly's outstanding accompaniment. She should be teaching that style, fiddlers all over the world would be so grateful. Guitar players, take note, it's an art in itself. Cheers, from Nova Scotia, Canada where fiddlin' like this rings still through the highlands of beautiful Cape Breton Isle. Glen Parker

[@TheDanielDaugherty]

To me, it sounds very much like modern Irish guitar accompaniment (Irish "traditional" guitar not really being a thing until the last 50 years or so). Her take is quite personalized, though, or so it sounds to me.

[@swedenwoodsworks7372]

@@TheDanielDaugherty As an Irish fiddler, I would definitely have to disagree. That's got some of what you're talking about a but it's still got all of the walking baselines and rhythmic patterns of traditional old-time accompaniment. Personally, I don't care for accompaniment in Irish trad, but I really appreciate a good old-time or bluegrass guitarist.

[@TheDanielDaugherty]

@@swedenwoodsworks7372 I'm listening back to this and I think I commented on the wrong video. Since I have your ear, can I ask what instruments are considered appropriate for Irish accompaniment? I have heard there are sessions with "no guitars/mandolins allowed"

[@moonoggin]

Wonderful guitar back up !!

[@kimberlymartinez7344]

Great musicians! So talented 😉

[@alderneyfred]

What an example of laid-back microphone technique, not to mention the superb musicianship. And I'm not normally such a fan of Gibson guitars, but that one is soooo nice.

[@Mandolin1944]

That looks like a WWII era Gibson Southern Jumbo - - acoustic guitars just don't get any better than that! I think you should learn to be a fan?

[@Loccutus28]

I have been learning Fiddle for the last 6 months from a great teacher, Jenni Wallace. I just love this tune. Thank you Bruce Molsky for writing it. For one thing, it gives me something to shoot for. I want to be able to play it some day. Keeps me motivated.

[@herveoudet3681]

James, I started the fiddle three years ago, at 52 yo, and it's indeed a fascinating instrument. Keep on fiddlin' ! Herve in pAris

[@charlieD1628]

I agree.

[@normw7060]

A great tune and version, but I don't think Molsky wrote it. He puts much work on learning from the old fiddlers; In this case it is Marcus Martin, NC ( CD/download at fieldrecorder.org , and I think an earlier version is on a Southern Folklife CD too.

[@spadoukie]

And from out of the shadows..steps Molly Mason to add the bottom end to this great fiddle duet.The mic which Jay has been using for years is an AKG large diaphragm that was only made for one year. Jay said it was manufactured with field recordings in mind. Jay thought they said fiddle recordings!

[@9lontoonieful1]

Excellent!

[@pattiejn]

My Mountain Dulcimer group has this song in our repertoire. We don't play it often but when we do, it sounds nowhere near this good!

[@Dabs222]

top playing great back up guitar

[@TerryBarkes]

Great Music, I just love it and will doing that one day.

[@drm9889]

The best!

[@murrmac]

just to note that the "pig's foot" in the title refers to a blacksmith's implement used to hold a workpiece which is being heated in the forge ... nothing to do with animal abuse ... or barbecues even ....

[@bilbobagshot8891]

quite disappointed in that revelation. i thought they were roasting pigs feet for tasty snacks in hard times. Oh well :-)

[@jacquesblaque7728]

John Hartford named the song "Shove that Pig's Foot Further in the Bed", explaining that said pig was purloined, and a lawman was coming up the road. The pig was hidden under the covers of the perp's wife's sickbed. Creative fellow, John.

[@jeannettemoyen9278]

LOL good to know, but...a piggie roast is a fine thing ...unless your the piggie or your a vegan. I don't think any vegetarian types would like this song - unless it was "Put the Eggplant " a little more into the fire.

[@jeannettemoyen9278]

@@bilbobagshot8891 hahahah yes

[@JJ_TheGreat]

This is a good song to play at a tailgate for a football game! 😉

[@JJ_TheGreat]

For some reason, this reminds me of "Turkey in the Straw"!

[@williamsharrock8077]

A cracking good tune that gets you in the groove .Listen to the Magic Foot for a similar experience.

[@bilbobagshot8891]

this guy's a ledge!

[@ArkRed1]

Just born before 1974.

[@rapier1954]

Inspite of the comments made at the beginning of the video about this being a literal Pig's foot the real meaning behind the song has nothing to do with the animal's (pig''s boot) but is the following: A ‘pig’s foot’ is a blacksmith’s tool that somewhat resembles a crowbar or poker, used to manipulate pieces of pig iron in a forge. The tune was originally recorded by western North Carolina fiddler Martin Marcus on an LP where he played it as a duet with his son Wayne.

[@sylvestermergatroid1334]

Love that old 4 potato time, always a toe trapper, foot stomper!!

[@zymelin21]

"pigs foot" is a "crow-bar" in denmark. Have one, and an outside grill. wonder if it will work?

[@skidooomaas4296]

0:47

[@softailspringer9915]

Folkies are not flashy dressers but they sure can saw and pick!

[@killiekentman]

nicer one

[@duncanandrew3307]

What tuning were the fiddles using, please? Great tune which I learned last year on a folk week in the UK.

[@swedenwoodsworks7372]

Standard tuning. It's in G, so crosstuning isn't necessary.

[@TheRgvbirdman]

Mel

[@Judymontel]

this is so beautiful - any way I could get my hands on fiddling notation to help me recreate some of those rich harmonies? Happy to pay for 'em!

[@joehightower]

Judith Montel I highly recommend the music book by Dirlam and Lo. Facing pages have banjo tab and sheet music for fiddle, including this tune: www.hilarydirlam.com/all-in-one-companions

[@debbieintelisano2442]

Well..... the thing about Old Time music is that you learn it by ear. :)

[@thebetterhalf37]

@JohnDGent check out marcus martin's version also.

[@jimb2427]

Molly's accompaniment is great. There are tuning issues during this performance. Whether it's the guitar or one of the fiddles, to my ear one of the instruments is slightly off.

[@voodoochef100]

my guess its intentional, so as to give it a more distinct sound, that there's 2 fiddles.

[@westonhancock5364]

If you would perfer to hear the vegan option "ruby with eyes that sparkle"

[@duncanandrew3307]

It is actually thought to be about iron working in a forge, pushing the pig (iron) further in to get it hotter. There now, that's iron rations. How are you with that?

[@SamuelRoyerLegault]

Is this a traditional tune or is it by a modern composer?

[@wayneparker9331]

Traditional tune. There is some debate on its origins. Some sources say it's originally an Irish tune, others that it is from the north of England. Hard to say what are its actual origins.

[@mrssmoliktoc]

Oklahoma Ponies - Mark Knopfler :)

[@iainmackillop2985]

Not that it's got anything to do with your post but the name Oklahoma comes from the Choctaw phrase okla humma, literally meaning red people. Thanks for the link.

[@normw7060]

+imtfolk I didn't see any mention of Bruce Molsky in the description (he is the fiddler next to Ungar). Thanks for the video!

[@imtfolk]

Good point - was in the Splash (embedded title) but I added to the descriptive material.

[@normw7060]

Thanks, I noticed so much text in the description, but managed to miss the embedded title of course :)

[@ArkRed1]

What's with everybody having to have a water bottle on stage with them? Whatever happened to people who could do a concert and didn't have to their own personal bottle of water to make sure they made it through a set? The times they are a changin'.

[@custerranch]

Hey, at least they're not sitting in chairs, reading it off sheet music on music stands!

[@davidmehaffey727]

@@custerranch , old time music is typically played sitting down in a close circle. Bluegrassers stand. Fyi.

[@zymelin21]

arkansas red, you sure there is water in them bottles?? ever heard of moonshine??

[@zymelin21]

@@davidmehaffey727 yes we have a saying in denmark, musicians do it standing up!!

[@TheJohnnyBE]

Not bad for a Jewish kid from the Bronx. ; ^ )

[@swoons631]

It’s apparently clear why old folk jump to pick a witch .. .

[@kleintm]

Two Jewish kids from the Bronx up there.

[@joannehack7588]

Don’t get no finer

[@joannehack7588]

WOW

[@joannehack7588]

Thank you