A genre-fusion funk and jazz jam session led by drummer Morgan 'Mo' Gilkeson and the house band The Morganica Quartet, with a featured guest musician each week.
Mo' Jam Mondays is a weekly funk and jazz jam at Nectar Lounge, running every Monday from 8:30 PM to 12:30 AM, with the jam itself kicking off at 9 PM. It's led by drummer Morgan 'Mo' Gilkeson and his house band, The Morganica Quartet, and each week they bring in a different featured guest musician to host alongside them.
It's a genre-fusion thing, and it's rooted in jazz improvisation rather than a traditional jazz jam. Tunes are rarely called, and the playing leans away from standard swing, so it's more about where the room takes it than working through a setlist. The crowd is known for being participatory and diverse, with regulars like 'Dr. Wonderbread' showing up with communal percussion to add to the mix.
Gilkeson, a Washington native who studied under drummers Jeff Hamilton and Jon Wikan, balances the band with his work as a barista at Café Lulu in Greenwood. The night is sponsored by North Coast Brewing, which projects Thelonious Monk's face onto the stage. The session started back in 2013 at The Scarlet Tree, moved to Tiny Ninja Cafe in Fremont and then to Stone Way Café, before landing at Nectar Lounge, where it's grown into the city's largest indoor/outdoor session of its kind. Nectar Lounge itself has been running since 2004 as Seattle's largest indoor/outdoor venue, located at 412 N 36th St.
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Entry is free, though a donation is suggested. The night runs from 8:30 PM to 12:30 AM, with the jam starting at 9 PM.
