Bay Area - any experience with Redwood City Blues Jam?

kesslari · #1 02-09-2009, 11:30 AM

Anyone been?
How was it?

VroomVroom · #2 02-09-2009, 12:10 PM

Ehh. But granted, I'm biased - I haven't done that scene in 15+ years, and it's really not my bag. I go when the Gelb band is hosting/playing because I love hearing Ed, Don, David, Kevin...and of course, Rich. Having done a few blues gigs with Rich, my Pavlovian synapses engage whenever I hear that he's playing.

Otherwise....it's a blues jam - generalizations and stereotypes apply, for better or worse.

kesslari · #3 02-09-2009, 02:38 PM

Hmmm. My hope was that the level of musicianship was higher than average. Would you say that's correct?
My band isn't gigging at the moment, and I'm jonesing to perform. Plus we're a duo and I miss playing with good drummers...

How are you digging the new Roscoe?

VroomVroom · #4 02-09-2009, 05:23 PM

Musicianship is all over the map, but there are certainly some good players. Like any jam, there's a shortage of good bassists, so I'm sure you'd get some quality playing time. On nights that the Gelb band hosts you can be sure that at least two great drummers will be there.

The Roscoe is very happy, thanks for asking.

Dennis Kong · #5 02-11-2009, 01:43 AM

[quote=VroomVroom;6953392]Musicianship is all over the map, but there are certainly some good players.

Being a regular jammer - I agree !
Vince who runs the jam often tries to balance musician levels in jam bands.

Otherwise you would get a some really bad combos of inexperienced players up there.

Unfortunately for me- most of the time --I get stuck with a lot weak
drummers or ones that don't know the tunes or the genre'.

They should not be up there unless they have their chops
down or know the blues genre- better -

IE: what tunes are rhumba vs slow shuffle vs fast boogie etc.
even tho' they are mainly I IV V's. Wither it be A
Howling Wolf tune, Buddy Guy tune or Albert Collins tunes. etc

I had one drummer ask me what a rhumba was!!

and there are few drummers & players I did enjoyed sitting in with- on occassion:
(Not too often- as Vince puts the really strong drummers with weaker bassists.
and vice versa )
IE:
Wayne Carter- who plays with Kenny Neal !
Dennis Dove- who I used play with.
Chris Cobb - guitarist.
Nancy Wright- sax..
Terry Hiatt- guitar- who I used to play with.

It is hit & miss as like most jams.
and very crowded. as there about lots drummer & bassists who sign up now. Most of the time I do get up to play but
there are quite few players who do not.

The good thing: I get to meet a lot good players & the host band members: like Tommy Castro, Dan Castro, EC Scott,
Mike Schermer, etc
and I already know the Gelbies- as I buy stuff from the shop off & on. And used to play in band with Rich Healy.

And you re playing in front of 200 people (most of them non
musicians) every Wed too !!
So many people get to know you too..
I 've made a lot of friends there!!

If you decide to sit in- Go early 6:30 to sign up as the sheet fills up by 7:30.
and you also take a chance you may not get called up too-
because of the time factor or too many players ahead of you.

and :you do not play in the order you sign up either.
Its a matter which group of people you are put in.
IE: I 've signed 1st or 2nd and not got up until 10:30 sometimes
or vice versa. too.

Here 's a link:
http://www.rwcbluesjam.com/home.cfm