Tales from the Open Jam Sessions

caeman · #1 10-09-2009, 05:54 AM

I have recently discovered this thing known as the 'open jam session'. For the last 4 weeks, I have been packing up my harmonicas, my harp mic and cable doing my best to learn how to jam with the blues.

I make no claims to be a great harp player, so I am working on blending in for the now, playing chords, tiny, basic riffs that fit the melody. Beginner stuff, really.

But, oh the things I have heard in my short time.

There is this one guitarist, he doesn't sing. He comes up and plays a never ending guitar solo. His sense of timing is...poor...to be kind. But, he is trying, I gotta give him kudos for that much.

The funniest part was this guy that, fairly early in the evening, had already had quite enough to drink that he needed a chair while he was at the mic. I felt so sorry for his guitar. Oh the sounds it made. And with this particular guy, alcohol didn't help him sing any better. It was hilarious! And then he was walking high fiving everyone, like he was their best buddy.

I've played a couple songs on bass there, sticking to simple 1-4-5 blues songs. And I managed to sneak onto the drum set for a few, as well.

Let's just say I am having fun at these open jams.

Kenny Allyn · #2 10-09-2009, 06:56 AM

I learned to play bass live on stage at these kinda functions, so I know I was the subject of some of the horror stories that were told … That was 15 years ago!

In recent memory … let’s see there was the night this singer/guitar player got up to play (I was on bass) and was not real clear on what she wanted, and just launches into a tune and lost the whole band, then started to sing and we all realize it’s a guy in drag!

Last week there are just two bass players in the house me and Slim Louis, the nights going pretty well until the end, and we get a group of players up and a "drummer?" none of us have seen before, a singer guitar player that is LOUD and all over the place, and a relative noob on second guitar, it came off with what you could only describe as a cacophony of off-time noise! The keyboard player and I are looking across at each other just shaking our heads and shrugging our shoulders (what can you do), the worst drummer any of us have ever encountered!

On the good side a blues jam is how I met Darren J. I guess the 30 minutes we had on stage was our audition and man did it click that’s how our band Darren J. and Blackkat Bone came to be.

At these jam events anything can and will happen, I encourage players to try one out, the learning experience alone is worth it, but the stories are priceless!

...

INTP · #3 10-09-2009, 02:12 PM

I remember the first jam I played at. I was very nervous and didn't play well at all, but I was motivated to work through the fear. Afterward, the host bass player started a conversation, and in the nicest way possible, told me how he practices...with a metronome. It stung, because I actually did, but I took the point anyway and kept practicing on my time.

A few years later, I had the fortune to be in the host band for a weekly blues jam. As the bass player, I got to play with tons of other players. Some great, some not so great. I learned a ton and played with a lot of odd players.

One guy used to drop acid and play some very wild hendrix-style blues guitar. He was actually pretty good, but the solos would go LOOOOONNNNNNnnnnngggg.... One time after a particularly long jam, I finally got him to stop. I announced into the PA, "Please be careful when opening overhead bins, as the contents may have shifted during the flight." Everyone in the bar laughed.

5StringBlues · #4 10-09-2009, 03:09 PM

I have been the bassist for the same Wednesday night blues jam for the past 13 years.

In that time I have seen:

Guitarist that couldn't tune a guitar,singers that didn't know what key they were in,musicians that can't stop a song for some reason,guys that had no idea what 1 4 5 is,acoustic folk duets, tons of beginner rock bands with horrible vocalists who thought they were gonna get a gig in a straight up blues club,drummers that don't bring drumsticks,drummers that had no idea how to shuffle, 2 fights(pretty mellow bar),and somewhere around 6.5 flashed female breasteses. I could go on but my head hurts now...............

I should find another Wednesday gig.

caeman · #5 10-09-2009, 03:30 PM

But, just think of how many young players got their start because you were willing to suffer their newness!

Easy8 · #6 10-09-2009, 04:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 5StringBlues

I have been the bassist for the same Wednesday night blues jam for the past 13 years.

In that time I have seen:

Guitarist that couldn't tune a guitar,singers that didn't know what key they were in,musicians that can't stop a song for some reason,guys that had no idea what 1 4 5 is,acoustic folk duets, tons of beginner rock bands with horrible vocalists who thought they were gonna get a gig in a straight up blues club,drummers that don't bring drumsticks,drummers that had no idea how to shuffle, 2 fights(pretty mellow bar),and somewhere around 6.5 flashed female breasteses. I could go on but my head hurts now...............

I should find another Wednesday gig.

I did the Wed night blues jam off and on for over a year and saw pretty much the same (albeit a lot fewer flashed female breasteses). We used to call that a "double fall out".

5StringBlues · #7 10-09-2009, 07:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by caeman

But, just think of how many young players got their start because you were willing to suffer their newness!

True enough,I'm not saying it was all bad at all.

Heck,two of those "young players" now go on European tours every year. ( Tony Vega & "The Mighty Orq" )

Downunderwonder · #8 10-11-2009, 07:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by caeman

But, just think of how many young players got their start because you were willing to suffer their newness!

Puts hand up.

I was another that learned a hell of a lot live onstage so to speak. Still do.

Had 5 bucks stuffed down my pants one night by an appreciative cougar.

I started being the regular bassist for a weekly jam a few months ago. Our regular "drummer" also sings and plays gat but he has no respect for time once you give him a guitar. He's made really good progress on the drums these last six months.

Suggestion for other open jams. Replace the drumset with a couple of djembe. Guys that can play them do. Those that think they can but can't give up real quick because they really hurt to play until your hands harden up.

Downunderwonder · #9 10-11-2009, 07:46 AM

Almost forgot. I got to jam with "thebeaversofrock" check them out on myspace! I played my upright eub and they digged it! So I was christened "bass beaver".

They haven't come for awhile now but when they do they bring a briefcase which contains a small "mystery instrument", real, eg cowbell, kazoo etc or makeshift/completely improvised ( eg used juice bottle from skip )

Ubersheist · #10 10-11-2009, 06:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 5StringBlues

...[snipped] ...somewhere around 6.5 flashed female breasteses.

You know what they say around here - no pics, then it didn't happen!

caeman · #11 10-23-2009, 12:46 PM

For the last two weeks, I have been working each day on the blues stuff, walking the standard 1-4-5. Nothing fancy, just trying to be competent with the most basic of playing.

At last night's jam, it paid off. I was up on bass (host player had a brand new 4-string Music Man, played very nicely) for 4 songs and I think I did just fine. I stayed on tempo and since I kept it simple, I was able to keep the pattern on all of them but one song. For that one errant song, one of the guitarists turned to me and said (or so I thought), "G, then E minor, then back to F". I nodded and tried to follow. Well, he apparently actually said "D minor". In my defense, there were 3 guitarist all playing and it was pretty loud, so I don't think anyone heard my mistakes. It sounded wrong, so I tried to listen for the right root, but the song was moving to quickly, so I just kinda filled in when I knew it was an F and G being played.

Headless Llama · #12 10-23-2009, 05:09 PM

ya know the phrase "you don't know what you don't know" well I found out what I don't know!! Now I am on the right track! First time up on a stage in front of people and the host band didn't know the songs that I did, so now I am learning how to just jam!

chefjoe · #13 10-23-2009, 09:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by INTP

I remember the first jam I played at. I was very nervous and didn't play well at all, but I was motivated to work through the fear. Afterward, the host bass player started a conversation, and in the nicest way possible, told me how he practices...with a metronome. It stung, because I actually did, but I took the point anyway and kept practicing on my time.

A few years later, I had the fortune to be in the host band for a weekly blues jam. As the bass player, I got to play with tons of other players. Some great, some not so great. I learned a ton and played with a lot of odd players.

One guy used to drop acid and play some very wild hendrix-style blues guitar. He was actually pretty good, but the solos would go LOOOOONNNNNNnnnnngggg.... One time after a particularly long jam, I finally got him to stop. I announced into the PA, "Please be careful when opening overhead bins, as the contents may have shifted during the flight." Everyone in the bar laughed.

Where and when was this? There's a good chance I know the bass player. Might even be my brother!

RED5 · #14 10-23-2009, 09:56 PM

I've been in the house band of a blues jam every sunday night for over 4 years now. The stories, damn!, they just flow. We're fortunate to get a pretty high caliber of players, (some guys are members of well known touring bands) but when we began, it was mayhem. Acoustic banjo pickers, uke players a trumpet player who evidentally never heard of melody,(or tuning) my favorite, a sax player who kept asking me "Should I come in here?" and various "singers" wanting to do their thing. By all means go and do open mics. the networking possiblities are great if you're a capable player,and if you're new? Look for one you can grow with. One last word. Fun. If you ain't having it? It ain't happening.

caeman · #15 10-30-2009, 09:09 AM

I forgot to take my camera, so I have no photographic evidence any of this happened, but at last night's jam was the first time I had the chance to witness the antics of a gaggle of gals out having fun. I don't go out to bars, so this is an odd sighting for me.

Five of them.

And from what I could tell, their version of dancing pretty much revolved around selecting which part of their body to rub against one of the other ladies.

I thought this sort of thing only happened in the movies.

Stumbo · #16 10-31-2009, 11:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by caeman

I thought this sort of thing only happened in the movies.

At least take some pics for your TB colleagues.

sedan_dad · #17 11-01-2009, 06:05 AM

Blues jams are a great training ground for new players and a great outlet for folks without a regular gig.
Thats not to say I don't frequent them once in a while.
But when I do, I'll always step aside for a new player or the guy without a band. If you work alot please remember that these jams may be the only outlet alot guys have. Don't be rude.

caeman · #18 11-01-2009, 06:18 AM

The main harmonica player has been quite nice about giving me mic time. He sits back and reads a book while I play away. I'll look over and mouth, "You wanna come up now?" and he shakes his head and just grins.

Fletcher Lanning · #19 11-01-2009, 06:29 AM

My comment on jam sessions is summed up by this song

David Tull - The Minutes Go Like Hours

Look it up and you'll get the joke

On another note, jamming with others (especially at open sessions with players I don't know) teaches huge lessons about communication and just going with the flow. They are awesome.