October/November 2024 | maconmagazine.com 67
BY MICHAEL W. PANNELL | PHOTOS BY JESSICA WHITLEY
F o r m a ny s e a s o n e d
m u s i c i a n s , n e w b i e s ,
a n d m o r e t h a n a fe w
w o u l d - b e p l ay e r s ,
t h e J e l l y E l e p h a n t i s
t h e p l a c e to b e o n a
S a t u r d ay n i g h t .
F
or many seasoned musicians, newbies, and
more than a few would-be players, the Jelly
Elephant is the place to be on a Saturday
night.
There's room there for those who just want
to listen, too.
The unique spot is up the road in Gordon, a
25-minute drive east from Macon in Wilkinson County
on Highway 18, and for 20 years it's been a hub for all
kinds of good, great, and even pretty out-there music.
Gordon is a small place, with under 2,000 residents
and less than 10,000 inhabitants in the entire
surrounding county. But Jelly Elephant has an outsized
reputation. It may be one of Central Georgia's best
music secrets, with an iconic neon sign hung over a
restored historic building.
One YouTube video calls it, "The coolest jam session
south of Nashville." A Google review enthused that,
"This place changed my life, it will always and forever
be my home." On Facebook, a musician snaps a picture
of the venue, captioned "There's magic in the world.
Sometimes you're lucky enough to bump into it."
Founder Bray Carr calls what happens there an
open mic night, or a jam session, but there's more to it.
