Musicians jam informally on Edenton's Broad Street

EDENTON — They say if you find a spot where two musicians play, more will be there shortly — complete with guitar cases, harmonicas, and fiddles. Some things are just predictable, like a force of nature.

Chris O’Neill recently started a monthly jam session at the Surf, Wind, and Fire, an outdoor shop in downtown Edenton. The session meets irregularly and is open to the public, but it’s not a concert. Jam sessions are more about the musicians than the audience, though the audience is welcome to join the journey. The most recent one was held Thursday, April 25.

“We have an open jam, meaning that we all play together, and I did this to bring local musicians together so they can have a place to learn from each other,” O’Neill said.

On a typical evening, about 15 or 20 musicians will show up among a crowd of 40 to 45 people. As O’Neill described the jam, people were all reading, spilling into the outdoor sports store, some carrying instrument cases and others setting up microphones and amplifiers.

The musicians gather monthly, but the month’s date is arranged over social media. In that sense the gatherings are spontaneous. There is no program. The type of music played varies depending on who shows up. Country, gospel, rock, bluegrass — the genre didn’t seem to matter to the players. What mattered was the music.

“They’re all more than welcome. They can find me on Facebook at Connect Edenton,” O’Neill said. “We have whole families here who sing together. They all come to and perform and play together, and we get some excellent performers that come in here as well.”

The jam sessions usually run from 4:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. but are announced monthly on different days at Surf, Wind, and Fire, located at 325 S. Broad Street in Edenton. Anyone is welcome to listen or perform. The musicians organize the jams, so anyone interested in attending or performing should monitor Facebook at the Connect Edenton site.