Coal river. Franklin Adkins playing dobro. Southern West Virginia.

Throughout southern West Virginia one can find regular jam sessions, which occur in public spaces like the Sophia Fire Hall, the Coal City Barber Shop, and the Beckley Flea Market, as well as in private buildings sometime built for that purpose, and elsewhere as well. As one musician put it, "We've played on the riverbanks, we've played on the mountaintops." Musicians playing a variety of instruments assemble regularly to perform an eclectic repertoire, including as one musician said, "traditional country, bluegrass, rock'n'roll, and gospel." For more than twenty years the musicians in these photos have been getting together at the Sophia Fire Hall on Thursday nights to jam. Some of them have played together publicly under names like "The Harmony Sisters," "The Richman Group," and "The Country Wonders," but they also go by the name of "Papa Frank's Bunch," in tribute to Franklin Adkins, a senior musician and vocalist who also hosts a session of music every Friday night at his home in Stanaford, near New River.
Event: Thursday night jam session at the Sophia Firehouse.