Jamming time

Roger Cass loves getting himself into a jam. A musical jam, that is.

Cass is one of the organizers of the Saukville Jammers, a collection of musicians who gather once a month at Living Hope Lutheran Church in Saukville to play music and sing songs of almost any genre.

“No rappers yet, but it could happen,” the Cedarburg resident said.

The Jammers consist of seven or eight  regulars who play a variety of instruments or like to sing. They meet at 6 p.m. on the first Friday of every month except for January, July and August. 

The Jammers email list totals more than 80 musicians, he said.

“Everyone is welcome to attend even if they just want to listen or sing along,” Cass said.

The players are “pretty much from all over, from Kiel to as far south as Glendale,” Cass added. 

“We have one new person who has made the journey from Kenosha but has decided to wait until the horrendous construction on I-94 is completed before making the journey monthly.”

This summer things changed a bit for them because they were invited to jam at Harrington Beach State Park in the Town of Belgium. Their next, and last, session there will be at 6 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 16. A park pass will be required to enter.

The Saukville Jam grew out of the former Saukville Open Mic nights that were started by John Higgins. When Higgins left, Cass and his wife Laurine took over.

“But after some discussion with other regulars, we decided to change the format to a jam,” Cass said.

The difference between an open mic and a jam, Cass explained, is that in an open mic setting, one person performs at a time while others form the audience. In a jam, people take turns selecting songs, but everyone gets to play on every song.

“We sit in a circle and pass a mic around so that the lead voice can be heard. As the mic is passed, each person can name whatever tune they would like to perform,” he said.

“If someone has a tune of their own or one that they would like to do solo, they can ask the others to sit it out.”

Cass said the musical abilities of the Jammers “runs the gamut,” from beginners to experienced. “The only requirement is that you have to show up,” he said.

Cass plays the guitar and Laurine plays the hammer dulcimer and melodica.

Cass retired after a career as a mechanical engineer in the automotive industry in Michigan. Besides the monthly jams, he and his wife play at senior centers and other area events.

The Jammers are mostly in their 60s or 70s. Musical tastes run from Latin to standards, to rock, country, waltzes and Americana.

Cass said nobody’s sure how Living Hope became the Jammers’ gathering place.

“I think John (Higgins) may have been a member,” Cass said. “But they still let us have a key to the place. I make sure I turn the heat down where it belongs when we leave, and we basically have the place to ourselves.”

For more information on the Saukville Jammers, email Cass at rogercass.220@gmail.com.