How do you share you story? For many of us, words don’t suffice. That’s where the miracle of music comes in! From the vibrato in the vocals, the beat of a snare, the croon of a cello, to the gusto of the guitar- it speaks in ways everyone can understand, no matter their language. For us here in Macon-Bibb, there’s a major celebration of music coming up, so we decided to join forces to share stories beyond just the spoken word. Welcome Bragg Jam to the stage!

For Storytellers in July, we’re going to have a jam session.  Bragg Jam Board President Leila Regan-Porter, and musician Justin Cutway will be our featured storytellers this month, and everyone in attendance is invited to sign up and share their stories of music in macon through spoken word, music, or whatever combination of both they choose.

“We’re excited for this partnership which will highlight not only the richness of the music scene in Macon, but also the richness of the people who make it such a magical place to experience the soul that runs so deep here,” says Koryn Young, Executive Director of Storytellers.

Whether you used to hang out with Otis, saw Gregg and Cher downtown, got lost in a riff with Robert Coleman, or you’ve just moved here and fallen in love with the soul that flows through us like the Ocmulgee- come share and connect with the people who make Macon-Bibb amazing. Storytellers Presents – Jam Sesh: Bragg’n on Macon will take place Tuesday, July 9, 2019, at 6:30 p.m. at Historic Grant’s Lounge (576 Poplar Street) in Downtown Macon.

About our featured Storytellers:

Leila Regan-Porter lives in Downtown Macon with her husband Tim and daughter Rosemary June, and the city has her very busy. She works as an executive assistant at the Otis Redding Foundation, and has written for local publications like the Macon Telegraph and Macon Magazine. Leila has served on the board for Main Street Macon as president and is currently the president of the board for Bragg Jam. Previously, Leila worked as promotions director for Ticket Alternative, editor of Southeast Performer and manager of Eddie’s Attic. As a freelancer, she has written for publications like Paste Magazine, Performing Songwriter and Atlanta Magazine.

Justin Cutway, who was born in western Pennsylvania but now lives in Macon, GA,  writes and plays subtle songs that provide lush illustrations of the world with a sense of wonder and humor. His songs bypass the common singer/songwriter habit of naked introspection with lyrics full of imagery taken from nature and sentiments borrowed from simpler times sung with honesty and power.  The music Cutway adds to these lyrics can range from a few notes gently plucked on nylon strings with sparse arrangements of found sounds to folky acoustic strums to full on guitar rock explosions powered by multiple riffs and thunderous rhythms.

A dedicated follower of the DIY (Do-It-Yourself) ethos, Cutway has had several small releases under the pseudonym Trendlenberg that date back to 1995.   While using Trendlenberg, Cutway has explored noise and ambient noise as well as found sound collage.  Having milled around Macon and played in a few local bands and projects over the last 10 years, Cutway has started to settle back into the singer/songwriter mode and it seems to be suiting him perfectly.  Don’t be surprised, however if Trendlenberg continues to get noise-y.

About Storytellers:

Storytellers is an event held every Second Tuesday of the month at Historic Grant’s Lounge. A different topic is given each month and storytellers are invited to speak on that topic. A featured Storyteller is asked to join us each month. All are welcome — even if you just want to listen.

Originally started by Crossroads with a Community Foundation Grant, the Storytellers event has been passed along to past resident Angel Collins and then on to Koryn Young, who is the current executive director along with volunteers Kevin Bradley, Rachel Gambill, and George Caubil. The event social begins at 6:30 pm and stories start promptly at 7:00 pm. Join us for this FREE event and hear what “off the beaten path” stories we have to offer. Storytellers are friendly, open, moving, life affirming, shocking, captivating, intimate, honest or just plain hilarious. Sign up to tell a story or grab a beer and some food and just listen.

About Bragg Jam:

During the summer of 1999, Macon singer/songwriter Brax Bragg was on the brink of something big. He had just recorded a CD with his new band the Buckleys, and they were scheduled to set out on tour. But before hitting the highway with his band, Brax took his baby brother Tate, an accomplished classical guitarist, on a cross-country road trip. While traveling through Texas on July 3, the brothers’ lives were tragically cut short by a car accident.

Back in Macon, friends were reeling at the news of the brothers’ tragic deaths. Russell Walker, a friend of the family and fellow musician, organized an impromptu jam session of local musicians to celebrate and honor the Bragg brothers’ talented lives. The healing power of music began to perpetuate, and a year later, the jam session resumed. “Bragg Jam” had officially been born. By 2003, it was expanded into a city-wide music festival. Two years later, it was incorporated as a non-profit with a board of directors. Today, Bragg Jam has evolved into a full-scaled community arts festival and Macon’s premier music event.

What began as an untimely tragedy has found a way to give back to the Macon community. The organization also gives an enormous amount of money (over $200,000 to date) to community causes that meant a lot to the Bragg boys, including the Ocmulgee Heritage Trail and Amerson River Park.

21 years later, countless hours of time put in by all-volunteer board members has led to Bragg Jam becoming a major community event, culminating in Macon’s biggest weekend of music at the end of each July, including Arts & Kids Fest, Second Sunday, and the legendary Concert Crawl.