Founded in April 2023, the Gaspee Celtic Jam is an informal community-based group of traditional musicians who enjoy playing tunes together on a weekly basis. All traditional/acoustic instruments* are welcome! The GCJ embraces newer and experienced musicians alike – you don’t need to be an expert in this genre, and we strive to make our musical meetings friendly, welcoming, and supportive.

*fiddle, guitar, Irish flute, pennywhistle, bodhran, mandolin, banjo, concertina, accordion, folk harp, hammered dulcimer, mountain dulcimer, acoustic bass, ukulele, keyboard, singers….you get the idea!!

What We Do

We are modeled after two similar groups – The Carp Celtic Jam (based in Carp, Ontario, Canada), founded in 2004 and the Orange County Celtic Jam (based in Santa Ana, California), which was founded in 2014. Both groups remain active today. Our primary tune sources are the Carp Celtic Jam Tune Book and the Gaspee Celtic Jam Tune Book, which contain traditional tunes with origins in Ireland, Scotland, England, Wales, Canada, and the US. The books are free and available for download here. We try to keep a few copies on hand if you need to borrow one during the jam.

Our usual format is to set up in a circle, then give each attendee the opportunity to pick a tune (or set of tunes) from the book, select their preferred tempo, which we then will all play together.

We are very open to playing tunes that are not in the book and that may not be strictly “Celtic”, such as Old Time fiddle music, Contra Dance tunes, and so on. If you love it and it can be played on traditional instruments, we’d love to try it!

The jam is held every Monday evening from 7 PM to 9 PM. We ask each attendee to donate $3-$5 each week, which goes toward the use of the room. Chairs are plentiful, but bring a music stand!

Questions? Just send us a message by selecting the “Click to Contact Us” button at the bottom of this page!

We look forward to meeting you and playing music with you!