Bringing musicians together, Cottonwood Falls
Address:
317 Broadway, Cottonwood Falls, KS 66845 [map this location]
Website:
www.emmachasecafe.com
Phone Number:
620.273.6020
A sidewalk filled with musicians and a street filled with happy listeners in downtown Cottonwood Falls. Photo courtesy Harland Schuster
A mandolin player strums a tune for listeners on Friday night. Photo courtesy Harland Schuster
Dark has fallen on the Emma Chase Friday Night concert and the famous Cottonwood Falls Courthouse is brightly lit for the occasion. Photo courtesy Criss Mayfield
Custom: Bringing musicians together
Where can you see
this happen regularly? The lively jam session happens every Friday night at 7:30 p.m. at the Emma
Chase Cafe in Cottonwood
Falls.
THE OPENING LINEPhoto courtesy Harland Schuster
Whichever Friday of the month it is determines the category: general acoustic, bluegrass, gospel, old time country n rock, and on the occasional fifth Friday, contra dance and folk.
To the best of anyone's knowledge, "Music at the Emma" was Kansas' first public weekly jam session and is surely the longest-continuous jam session.
The jam sessions are free to the public although "the jar" is occasionally passed around to raise funds for a special need, for additional sound equipment, or to help support an upcoming performance.
THE MUSICIANSAn evening count of musicians might be anywhere from four to thirty. First-time visitors are amazed at this unique phenomenon of regular people, with varying levels of musicianship, take turns leading songs while all the other musicians play along. Mostly vocal, sometimes instrumental, these songs represent a broad variety of genres.
Several regular musicians have become song-writers and frequently perform their Flint Hills tunes at the jam sessions. Some of the musicians now write music and perform their tunes in other venues.
THE ACCOMPLISHED LISTENERS
It is not unusual for the audience to include a bus-load of guests from a senior center or a church somewhere, campers, automobile enthusiasts, or those attending a local meeting or family reunion.
By the way, you can eat at The Emma beforehand. Fried Catfish Dinner is served Friday evenings from 5-8 p.m.
Phone: 620-585-2374