Friday, April 19, 2024
They’ll be jammin’ at Celebration Hall Thursday night, and the scene will be repeated from 6:30-9 p.m. on the second and fourth Thursday each month.
The Granbury Jam Session will bring musical artists together while providing free entertainment for those who attend.
“Musicians get to play outside the genre of their regular band and meet new people,” Gary Millhollon said of the jam session.
Some musicians frequent jam sessions to scout new band members.
“It also gives the casual musician or singer an opportunity to play with a real band,” Millhollon said. “Many karaoke singers have always wanted to sing with a live band.”
Milllhollon, of Granbury, is known as Gator in the band Ray Reed & Gator, a blues band loaded with longtime musicians playing in the Metroplex. He also leads the “old country” band, Brazos River Strangers, and has led jam sessions in Fort Worth, Albuquerque and Austin.
The core band will feature four professional musicians on guitar, bass, piano and drums. They also sing.
On piano: Steve Edwards, now retired and living in Granbury, is known as a tremendous piano player and has worked with major stars at Farm Aid with Willie Nelson. He’s also on many CDs as a session player in Austin.
On guitar: Millhollon will also play blues harmonica and banjo. He’s played all over Texas, New Mexico, Louisiana, Mississippi, Germany, England and Ireland. He’s worked with 10 musicians who are in the Rock or Blues Hall of Fame like Buddy Guy and George Thorogood.
On bass: Mike Pritchard, of Fort Worth, is regarded as one of the best bass players in the state.
On drums: George Pressley of Fort Worth and Ron Korner will rotate every other jam. Korner, of Cleburne, has been a session drummer in Nashville.
The music will include country, rock, bluegrass and pop. “Everything but rap,” Millhollon said.
Anyone who plays and sings is welcome. Sign up when you arrive in, and it’s “next man up.”
The house band opens with five or six songs, then the jammers start joining and/or replacing those on the stage. Vocalists should have a song in mind and the key they sing in.
“If we know the song, fine. If not, we’ll try to find another song they know how to sing,” Millhollon said.
