Mountain Pro Jam: Sunday Music Showcase at Henflings Tavern
By Michele Murphy
Back in June 2015, Ben Lomond resident and local guitar player Dan Odom, who lives a few miles from the historic Henflings Roadhouse and Tavern, noticed that Monday evenings at the venue were the only times the place seemed to be quiet each week. So, eager to meet and play with like-minded local musicians, he approached the manager about putting on a weekly jam night. Dan received the nod to go ahead, and for the next two years jam night happened every Monday night.
Michele Murphy and Dan Odom gear up for Sunday Open Jam at Henflings Tavern.
Dan got it going by asking a few friends, like Louie Zomora, Tim Houchin, Daryl Lowery, Todd Reid, and a few other seasoned local musicians that he had met at the bar. Sparky (Ken Klinger) showed up to play drums. During those first two years Dan met many music-loving souls who wandered in with an itch to perform. Some had experience playing with others and in front of an audience, and some, like me, had absolutely none. I realize how lucky I was to serendipitously stumble upon this jam, which got me started on my own singing career; it was because of this supportive group of folks who had the patience and willingness to share their knowledge and the precious gift of creating music with whoever might have the inkling to try to get up on stage and perform.
In 2017 when the Tavern came under new ownership, they moved the open jam to Sundays. Dan started doing sound for the weekend bands, and he continued to connect with bass players, drummers, guitar players, and singers to add to the Sunday night rotation. June of 2025 will mark Dans’ 10-year anniversary of running the open jam at Henflings. He has also put together his own high-energy, danceable rock band called Highwire featuring mainstay Santa Cruz Mountains players Vito Detorre and Tim Houchin, and you can catch them regularly at one of our fantastic local venues.
Besides nurturing musical expression, another function of the Sunday Open Jam is the community aspect. Living in the San Lorenzo Valley we are fortunate to have that small town feel, and the newest owner of Henflings, Mario Ibarra, who also owns Aroma (the former Tyrolean Inn) is dedicated to making sure both of his establishments function naturally as community hubs, warm and welcoming places where people can gather and celebrate special occasions.
Sunday Jam for Jimmy Bishop
One of those occasions is coming up this March when the Henflings Sunday jam will be transformed into what has been dubbed “Jimmy Jam,” a musical celebration of life in honor of Jimmy Bishop, who passed away suddenly on January 20, 2025 and who was one of the Valley’s most dearly beloved neighbors and a lifelong musician in his own right. With the support of Jimmy’s many friends and fellow artists and musicians, join us for a very special Henflings Sunday Open Jam on Sunday, March 16 from 5:00 to 9:00 pm. All are welcome to come and share a song or a story about our friend. We will be collecting donations for a silent auction and a raffle to benefit his sons Austin and Cameron.
Henflings Tavern, 9450 Highway 9, Ben Lomond. Kitchen open late, 21+.
Michele Murphy is a singer-songwriter who has lived in the Santa Cruz area since 2005 when she migrated West from Buffalo NY. She works as an energy efficiency consultant and writes about the wonderful people of the San Lorenzo Valley.
Featured photo by Julie Horner
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