Bluegrass Jam Sessions Signal A Growing Community

On the corner of 6th Ave and Broad in the 7 Hills Building, a small group of Romans meet every other Tuesday for fun Bluegrass jam sessions. These informal meetings have only recently opened up to the public starting this past May 1st, and draw influence from downtown Rome’s two newest additions: The Swift and Finch coffee house and the 7 Hills Building. While neither the church that meets in the 7 Hills Building nor the coffee shop are affiliated with the group, many of the attendees associate with both.

“We just decided to start advertising the jam sessions this month but, it all started 8 or 9 months ago. Usually we have the same core 3 or 4 people” said regular jam session member Pete McPherson.

Anyone who decides to participate needs to bring their own instrument, but this is not an on-your-own type of meeting. Most of the sessions are instrumental in nature, and since everyone has the same affinity for Bluegrass the meetings have become highly productive.

The face of the attendees do not match the typical Bluegrass enthusiasts. Long hair and beards are non-existent. High-water overalls have been exchanged with suburban clothing; and warm, unfinished Americana decor has replaced outside hootenannies. If you can handle this type of scene, make sure to check it out May 29th for the next jam session.