Aaron writes about the trip he and Ironing Board Sam recently took to record a new album in Mississippi.

On the morning of our second day in Mississippi working on Ironing Board Sam’s new record with Bruce Watson and Big Legal Mess records, Sam breezed by my bed on his way to the coffee maker, then out the back for a smoke. He had a certain lift, I could tell from just looking at his back.

The day before, Jimbo Mathus, guitar player, arranger and cook for the session, had made purple hulled peas and a boston butt roast. Today, he was busy making a Jambalaya and boiling a special tea for Sam’s throat consisting of honey and ginger. This special care and deep respect for Sam is so clearly seen through the attitudes and actions of all of the musicians on the project.

Sam responded with nailing every take perfectly. He worked 8-10 hour days taking few breaks and laughing between sessions. The whole crew exuded cheer, the long hours of the studio flew by without notice.

The third day recording, Sam complained of a frog in his throat. The solution: a cigarette and a shot of rum. Sam took a swig of rum in his mouth, tilted his head back and gargled it. He swallowed hard, looked over to Jimbo and said, “Ok, I’m ready.”

Bronson, the youthful and chipper recording engineer, sitting in on guitar, relished Sam’s sage wisdom. “77 years and you ought to know what your body likes,” he said.

Here, Bruce and Sam sit together pouring over the words of the current song, working out phrasing and working out the underlying themes of the song. Notes are jotted in the margin, a string around the finger. Looking forward to hearing what came out of those three days – we don’t currently have release date, but we will make sure to let you know as soon as we do!

— Aaron