If you’re a longtime Upstate music scene fan, you’ll remember that once upon a time you couldn’t swing a banjo without hitting a local bluegrass jam. And you certainly had plenty of places to blow your horn if you were looking for a jazz jam.
There were places all over town, most notably The Handlebar, that hosted weekly jams where bluegrass musicians could sit down and start picking or jazz cats could play to their hearts content.
It seems like those nights have disappeared from our musical landscape as the venues that hosted them closed or moved. But Fireforge Crafted Beer on Washington Street has stepped into the gap on both fronts. They host a free bluegrass jam on Tuesday nights starting at 6:30 p.m., and a Sunday Jazz Jam at 4 p.m.
Even better, Fireforge has spent the last few years building a reputation for hosting top-notch live music, so the creators of these jams came to them. Local players Samuel Kruer and Matt Purinton run the bluegrass night, and the venerable Greenville Jazz Collective handles Sundays.
Brian and Nicole Cendrowski, the husband-and-wife team that owns Fireforge, told me they are thrilled to host the two nights as part of their commitment to live local music.
“Sam and Matt had played at Fireforge over the years,” Nicole Cendrowski said, “and they really liked the environment. We’d done some renovations (expanding their space and adding a dedicated listening room with a stage) just to make it more conducive to live music as well. So they came to us, and they were interested in rebooting that gathering.”
“It’s been steady and well-supported ever since,” she added.
When to see jazz at Fireforge
Similarly, about a year ago, the Greenville Jazz Collective approached Fireforge about starting up the Sunday Jazz Jam.
“They said they were looking for a new place to do a Sunday Jazz Jam,” she said. “The two events have very different vibes, but they’re both so much fun.”
These two thriving weekly jam sessions serve as indicators that Fireforge Crafted Beer is fully committed to having as much live music as possible on their stage.
“We’ve been supporting live music for a long time, and I think our local musicians see that,” Brian Cendrowski told me. “We make it a point to treat these musicians well and be as accommodating as possible. And I think it’s great that those musicians chose to continue their traditions at our venue.”
The full Fireforge Crafted Beer event schedule can be found at fireforge.beer.
