On Wednesday nights in Millvale, the sound of banjos, fiddles and mandolins drifts across the patio outside Mr. Smalls Cafe. That’s where the Smallsgrass Bluegrass Jam has become a weekly tradition, drawing pickers of all ages and skill levels.

“It just feels like a group of friends hanging and playing music together,” said Joe Depasquale, a full-time-musician from the North Side who organizes the jam.

Depasquale, 39, who goes by the stage name Joe Dep, has been a fixture in Pittsburgh’s bluegrass scene for more than 15 years, playing banjo with the Shelf Life String Band and now performing with the Wolf Tones and other groups at Thunderbird Music Hall.

“This is the original form of American storytelling,” Dep said.

Musicians begin arriving about 6:45 p.m. to tune their instruments and find seats. Guitars, banjos and fiddles are plentiful, with mandolins, a dobro and an upright bass making an appearance. Once everyone is settled, the first song is chosen in a mostly democratic fashion, and the picking begins.

“This is the way this music is played,” Dep said. “It’s just a bunch of people who come together at various skill levels and share the songs they know.”

Frank Seanez, a retired lawyer from Ross, said he jumped at the chance to join when the jam started in June 2024.

“I had heard that this bluegrass jam was starting up here at Mr. Smalls. I’d attended a bunch of concerts here already, and I really enjoyed those,” said Seanez, who plays the fiddle. “So when I heard that this jam was being hosted by Joe Dep, who I had heard play with the Wolf Tones and other people, I thought, ‘Well, this is great, and it’s just down in the next holler from where I’m at.’ So it’s hard to pass up.”

Seanez was among the first bluegrass musicians, also known as pickers, to join.

“It’s attracted a lot of good pickers right off the bat,” he said. “Sometimes it’s been as low as maybe six pickers, but sometimes it’s grown to as many as 15.”

Much of the jam’s growth stems from Dep’s reputation in the local scene.

“You know, Joe is an ultimate picker,” said Ken Freda, 62, of Robinson, a dobro player and owner of Cookie Cookie Ice Cream. “More than half the fun is listening to these wonderful pickers, being able to sit in with them. When it gets going, I just make instant friends.”

One feature that sets Smallsgrass apart is its atmosphere of acceptance. Musicians say even beginners feel welcome.

“It’s the most welcoming group of guys I think you’re gonna find,” Freda said.

He recalled one novice who sat in for the first time. After a few songs, the player admitted he felt intimidated.

“He said, ‘This is kinda out of my league,’ and we said, ‘No, no, no, sit down.’ And everybody just encouraged him, saying, ‘You’re right where you need to be. The only way you get better is by sitting in and playing with people who are better than you, and that just makes you want to play even better.’ ”

Drew Abel, 36, a mandolin player from Millvale, had a similar experience.

“It’s just a really welcoming environment,” Abel said. “I showed up on a whim. I had never played bluegrass before, and I guess I got bit by the bluegrass bug.”

Another element that makes the jam unique is its sober-friendly setting.

“The majority of other jams take place in bars or breweries where only alcoholic drinks are served,” Dep said. “At Mr. Smalls, you can get that stuff plus coffees, teas and other nonalcoholic beverages.”

Mr. Smalls Cafe manager Greg Ketteman, 55, who lives in Millvale, often takes drink orders right from the patio so musicians don’t need to leave the circle.

“Just having this regular weekly hangout with people playing bluegrass — it’s awesome,” Ketteman said. “It’s hard to believe it’s actually a job. I gotta go grab someone a beer once in a while, but if they were playing bluegrass in my house, I’d be going to the fridge and grabbing a beer.”

“Come down, it’s free,” he said. “It’s a fun, relaxed night. Sit here and read a book or bring friends and hang out. It really is just a chill vibe.”

For those interested in joining, Ketteman recommends checking the Mr. Smalls website at mrsmalls.com/listing/upcoming-cafe-events to confirm there isn’t a concert scheduled in the upstairs theater because the jam only runs when the space is available.

Bluegrass jams offer a unique way to experience music. The musicians play primarily for each other rather than for an audience. Listeners are welcome, but the music continues with or without them.

“It’s not like we come here to entertain people,” Freda said. “We’re actually here to entertain ourselves. So, if you want to hear the best music that we can possibly do, that’s what we’re gonna give you, but we’re doing it for us.”

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