1st "Jazz Jam" today
 

Today I went to my first "Jazz jam". It's not a style I play much (or particularly well) and I realized the only way I'm going to really get better (and inspired to play it more) is to get into a situation where I have to play.

It was a good time. I certainly didn't blow anyone away, but then, I didn't expect to.

One thing that surprised me was how many singers were there - there was a singer change every 2 songs or so, but I could have played bass as long as I wanted. I played 6 or 8 songs, none of them songs that I knew. Jazz ballads, swing of different tempos, and a couple of latin tunes.

The main thing that I realized is that I need to get better at reading through charts - I missed some repeats and got lost a couple of times, though I was able to find my way back by listening, and nobody seemed upset. That's not to say that I don't need to work on other things - but that "not getting lost or bamboozled" is the first and greatest area of improvement.

The singers were appreciative and the and other musicians made it clear that I'd be welcome back, and invited me to the "better jam" that happens on another night.

That's a win in my book, and I'll be back.

Congrats, this could become the way forward to you. I find any time that I get in a rut (as on a road), I need to take a sharp turn to go in another direction completely. Maybe this is what happened here. I would welcome the invitation to "the better jam".

Excellent! Everyone gets lost now and then, ya get distracted and miss a repeat, or some such thing. The trick, as you found, is to keep playing, even if you're wrong, and dont let the pulse escape. Then eventually you hear your way back in.

...besides, it's "jazz".

Was it " 'av en gart a clue" jazz?:screwy:

Just keep "Walking" on the bass occasionally hitting some of the root notes...

Clever.

Kesslari,
I am right there with ya. I've been jamming with a smokin' guitarist here in town and learning jazz standards, taking solos, dinner gigs, and all that jazz, so to speak. Talk about being OUT of my comfort zone! But I am LOVING every bit of it! Nothing but musical growth through the sometimes painful experiences.

Sobie - it's definitely outside the comfort zone and a great learning opportunity.
And what you're doing is the way to learn it.
I'm definitely planning to do more of it.

Kesslari - right on, brother!

If only I would have listened to my first teacher 29 yrs ago telling me to check out Stanley & Jaco...

Did you have charts at least?

Yes. It would have been bad otherwise - lots of tunes I did not know.