jam sessions

Kansas City and Lawrence, KS Area Jam Sessions

I began posting information about jam sessions in the Greater Kansas City area in late 2004, maintaining this list on my family web site. As time passed the collection grew to include other cities where I would travel on business and bring along my fiddle. The list was useful to me as a reference when I knew what jam in which city I needed information on, but it was not well organized. My guitar toting friend Shawn had been making the case for months that I should move the information to a dedicated site. As my search engine hits for jam sessions increased into 2006 I finally decided it was time.

We've built a web site dedicated to making information on acoustic jam sessions easy to publish (yes, you can publish to the list!) and very easy to find. The site filters data based on your location and shows you all of the events we know about in that area. It is focused on the United States. For folks outside of the US - we are working to make sure the site will function anywhere that Google offers geocoding services. If you want to use folkjam in your country, post a note in our forums to let us know where the demand exists.

I've left the list below in place since the entries are still viewed by visitors, but I do suggest you visit the new home for this information, folkjam.org.

You should always confirm the details of the jam sessions on this list. I also recommend you follow the links to the folkjam.org entry for the jam session as it may be more current.

If you are new to acoustic jams you might want to read some of these rules and guidelines for playing at a jam.


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folkjam.org jam session listing for Kansas City


Jam Archive

Jams come and go. I keep track of outdated information here in the Jam Archives to help spread the word that an event is no longer active.


Weekly Wednesday jam at "Signs of Life" in Lawrence

Submitted by scott.mclewin on Thu, 2005-10-27 23:31.

This open jam session post is now maintained on folkjam.org. You can find up to date information on this jam here.

The Americana Academy of Music sponsors a weekly jam on Wednesdays from 7:30 to 9:30pm at the Signs of Life bookstore in downtown Lawrence, Kansas.

For more information contact the Americana Music Academy
1419 Massachusetts
Lawrence, KS 66044


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Monthly "Second Friday" Acoustic Jam

Submitted by scott.mclewin on Wed, 2005-10-26 23:20.

This open jam session post is now maintained on folkjam.org. You can find up to date information on this jam here.

The Kansas City Area Bluegrass Music Club has monthly jams on the 2nd Friday of the month, October thru April, at Vesper Hall in Blue Springs, MO (15 miles east of KC, on I-70).

Contact: Jim Boling (816) 454-4773 or E-Mail: jboling AT kc.rr.com


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Monthly "second saturday" acoustic jam

This bluegrass jam session post is now maintained on folkjam.org. You can find up to date information on this jam here.

David and Rene Lizor have been running a monthly jam at their house since 1978. Typically there will be a sign that reads "jam" telling you where to turn - information on where the jam is has been moved to folkjam.org.

It starts at 8pm and runs until the last two people go home, which could be well into the morning. Groups will be playing both inside and outside, so bring bug spray for the summer. While there are plenty of chairs to share it does not hurt to have one of your own along. Come with something to share - a snack, a bottle of wine, a six pack. The crowd is a mix of people who play and people who listen, so bring along a friend or three.


Sunday night open mic/jam session with Doc Fuller

This open jam session post is now maintained on folkjam.org. You can find up to date information on this jam here.

Every Sunday night around 8pm Doc Fuller hosts an open jam / open mic night at WJ McBrides [google local], just south of 119th Street and west of Blue Valley Parkway, Overland Park, Kansas. For me this is just one more reason to enjoy McBrides, which is the only local watering hole I know of that serves Strongbow Cider. Doc Fuller is flat out amazing on the Guitar. The range of groups who get up on the stage after his opener run from "can I start that again?" grade to "this song is from our latest CD" caliber. Don't be shy.

As always, I suggest you call to confirm before you go. Visit their web site for contact information.


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Monthly "Fourth Friday" Heartland Unplugged acoustic jam

This acoustic jam session post is now maintained on folkjam.org. You can find up to date information on this jam here.

This session runs on the fourth Friday of the month at St. Luke's Methodist Church, 9420 James A. Reed Road in Kansas City, MO. The church's website is www.stlukeskc.org.


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Pitch Open Jam Sessions listings

The Pitch maintains a list of open jams throughout the Kansas City area. These are predominantly blues jams.


» read more | Visit Pitch Open Jam Sessions listings

Monthly "Third Friday" acoustic jam

This bluegrass jam session post is now maintained on folkjam.org. You can find up to date information on this jam here.

The Heart of America Old Time and Bluegrass (HABOT) runs a monthly jam at 6pm October through April in Kansas City's Northland. See their web site for contact information and directions. This jam is a huge affair with room after room of players playing away at bluegrass, country, old time, fiddle tunes and pretty much anything acoustic instruments can muster.


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Monthly "First Friday" acoustic jam

This open jam session post is now maintained on folkjam.org. You can find up to date information on this jam here.

This is a great jam hosted at St. Matthews United Church of Christ in Riverside, MO. It is put on by the members of the church. It is set up like a concert, with the player's chairs facing an audience, but it is not run like a concert. The song selection passes around the room, and the selections include old-time fiddle, celtic, country and the rare blues/rock number. Acoustic instruments and voices make up the group. The church members kindly "pay" the musicians with home made cookies and cakes. All skill levels are welcome.


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Heart of America Bluegrass and Old Time Music

This bluegrass jam session post is now maintained on folkjam.org. You can find up to date information on this jam here.


» read more | Visit Heart of America Bluegrass and Old Time Music

Second and Fourth Tuesday jam in Tampa, Florida

Submitted by scott.mclewin on Wed, 2006-03-29 07:55.

This free form acoustic jam session post is now maintained on folkjam.org. You can find up to date information on this jam here.

On a business trip to Tampa I came across a bi-weekly jam right near Busch Gardens. The group is run well and plays a broad range of music. The jam is at a fixed location on the fourth Tuesday and changes locations on the second Tuesday. Details can be found on


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Community of Christ Church Thursday Jam

Submitted by scott.mclewin on Fri, 2006-03-24 23:46.

This bluegrass jam session post is now maintained on folkjam.org. You can find up to date information on this jam here.

Meetings are every Thursday evening: 9801 Blue Ridge (about three blocks north of Hwy 470 on Blue Ridge Boulevard) 6:00-10:00 pm.

Gary Russell says, "It's been a year and a half now, and getting bigger every week. We are ranging from 75 - 100 folks each week. We have changed our format effective Nov 3. We now have a 2 hour stage show from 7:30 pm and have open mic for individuals to be on stage beginning at about 6:15 pm. This seems to be working well and is well received by pickers as well as listeners. We still have 4 rooms with great acoustics for jamming. Mostly, we are only using two of these rooms right now so there is still room to grow. There is still a multitude of talented pickers who haven't found their way to our door. But, with the new opry/stage show format, we are expecting to see them soon. We are looking for bands who would like to do a performance occasionally. They can contact me by phone of by email, and I'll get them sheduled. P.s.: We have free refreshments every week. The ladies bring all kinds of snack food as well as coffee and pop. It's a good "family" gathering."


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Ten Jammandments

by Charlie Hall and Robert Rosenburg, as printed in the January/February 2002 Folknik newsletter of the San Francisco Folk Music Club

THOU SHALT TUNE THY INSTRUMENT. There are too many good, cheap tuners around not to do this.

THOU SHALT LISTEN. If you can't hear the lead instrument or vocalist, then consider yourself too loud.

THOU SHALT PASS. When handing off an instrumental solo, try to follow a pattern either clockwise or counter clockwise. If you want to skip the next solo or pass it on to the next picker, be sure that the next person is aware of the handoff. No one wants to start his or her solo in the middle of the song.


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