Lola's Jam

Lola's Jam is back at Northside Tavern on Monday, October 19, starting at 10 PM. It's a Monday night jam session honoring Lola Gully, the Atlanta blues and R&B singer and keyboard player whose name it bears. Gully is an Atlanta blues legend, and the jam is one of the city's longest-running musical traditions: the Northside Tavern's Monday night session, built around a rotating lineup of seasoned musicians and open participation from local players, who are welcome to bring an instrument and join in. The session is regarded as a staple of Atlanta's blues and dive bar scene.

For this particular night, the core band is Stuart Harth on percussion, Theron Merritt on bass, Randell Rivers on guitar, and Evan Bruneau on drums. That's the foundation the rest of the night builds on, and since it's an open jam, the lineup changes as the night goes along. Local players can bring their own instruments and jump in, so the music shifts depending on who shows up and who decides to take a turn on stage.

If you're just coming to listen, you'll get a night of blues and R&B in the spirit of Lola Gully, with the house band leading the way and local musicians filling in around them. It's a late one, starting at 10 PM on a Monday, and there's no cover. The Northside Tavern is at 1058 Howell Mill Road N.W. in Atlanta.