When we were in Jersey back in the '70's, I used to go to NYC and get into after hours jams.
It was all jazz, no R&R.
How many here go out and play local jams? I went out and played one tonight with a band I play with quite a bit. We had three drummers in the house, but we were each able to play 10-12 songs each.
No pay due to it being a jam, but it was a lot of fun. If anything it was nice to sit behind a kit and play a few solid tunes with friends in a public place, and not in a "practice" environment.
Six Piece Mapex Saturn V, Five Piece DW Performance Series, NOS Slingerland Snares, Centent Ardor and Emperor Cymbals
When we were in Jersey back in the '70's, I used to go to NYC and get into after hours jams.
It was all jazz, no R&R.
This was a blues jam. I was able to play some Big Bill Broonzy, Freddie King, Albert King, SRV, Hendrix, Buddy Guy, and a few others. It was a lot of fun, that's for sure.
Six Piece Mapex Saturn V, Five Piece DW Performance Series, NOS Slingerland Snares, Centent Ardor and Emperor Cymbals
Only go to these when I'm searching for musicians.
Six Piece Mapex Saturn V, Five Piece DW Performance Series, NOS Slingerland Snares, Centent Ardor and Emperor Cymbals
When I was young and on the road I use to go to all the "jam nights" in whatever city I was in . I loved that you would walk in and immediately you were among friends and family . Even more so in the smaller towns . Always met some fine people at these even if they didn't play all that well . I remember doing one in Amarillo Texas and the was an old guy wearing shades claiming to be Elvis ! He got up and sang"My Way" with his acoustic and he did sound just like Elvis . I got kicked out of a few just because I was Mexican !
I also was the "host drummer" for one at a club I was playing at . That one was a drag tho because the same people would come in and do the same song week after week . Seldom did anybody new come in . The bass player , Kevin Keith ( plays a Chapman Stick now and works for Roland..look him up on Youtube) and I would sit up front and try to get people signed up . Sadly a lot of the local "pro" players would come in just to make fun of the people on stage..I hated them for that .
There are numerous jams in my area. I've been to several and I recently played a few with the singer in my new band. It's the best way to network and find good musicians. It's also a great way for a new band to get in front of an audience before you have a whole night's worth of material ready. We plan to do that soon. I have found that the vibe is very friendly and welcoming and the talent level is impressive.
Acoustic Kits:
Ludwig Maple 3ply White Cortex 4 pc
Rukus Mod Orange Club 4 pc
DW Design 6 pc
Tama Silverstar Limited Edition Mirage 5 pc
Tama Superstar 5 pc
Tama Rockstar 4 pc
Gretsch Catalina Ash 4 pc
Slingerland 7 pc
Electronic Kits:
Yamaha DTX532k
Roland TD-27, Roland PD-85 (x4), PD-125, KD9, CY-8 (x2) VH-10, Lemon 15 and 18 cymbals
Roland SPD-SX Sample Pad
Snares:
Tama SLP Black Brass
Tama SLP G Maple
Rukus Santos/Bubinga/Poplar/Wenge
Rukus Avodire/Maple/Mahogany
1972 Ludwig Supraphonic
Hardware:
Tama, DW, Yamaha and Sonor
Cymbals:
Zildjian A Series, A Custom and K Custom
Microphones:
Miktek, Audix and Shure
As nub posted it is a great way to network and find potential band members, or amazing if you are the only drummer...
BUT, they can also be a big waste of time. Firstly, it's hard for drummers to play with random people as well as show off without bandmates getting mad, so jam sessions tend to attract drummers. Having 5 drummers show up for a 3 hour jam just makes you wish you had stayed at home and jammed along to your favorite music.
Also, if people don't know songs, it can geta bit repetitive. Also, you have to consider the level of musicians. The jams Rick went to were I'm sure amazing, and I'm super jealous I wasn't alive for those. But that was then and there. I've found them here to be a lot of showboating, and to be honest, not that much fun if you are in the audience.
Maybe just my bad luck, but also in terms of networking it can be limited. Some people would rather be the star for the night, seem like the world's best musician, and then go home and do it again somewhere else the next night. Then when you ask them to join your band they are very unreliable. Also, being able to jam and improvise is great, but you got to be able to play the song too, unless you are going for Grateful Dead/PHish...
Or maybe I'm just bitter cause the other night I went to a jam and all they had is a cajon...i learned that night I don;t like cajon...
I agree with everyone else. Can be great or a waste of time, depending on numerous factors. I've found a lot depends on the venue and people hosting. My band hosts, and I organize a large outdoor open stage/jam every summer. It's a ton of work, but well worth it. In addition, it builds relationships between local bands/musicians and helps reduce the "competitiveness" between them. Great for building community spirit as well.
-Brian
"Too many crappy used drum stuff to list"
Play the SONG......not the DRUMS!!!
"I think that feeling is a lot more important than technique. It's all very well doing a triple paradiddle - but who's going to know you've done it? If you play technically you sound like everybody else. It's being original that counts." ~ John Bonham
I have certainly heard of jams that aren't all that great. There is one in a town about 30 minutes from me that is known for that. If you're not in their little clique, you're not getting on stage. A buddy of mine went to theirs and was the first person to sign the book. The jam began at 8pm and ended at 11pm. At 10:30 he still hadn't been called up, but several local bands were. They told him they always let their locals play first regardless of when they walk in or sign the book.
At our jam, it goes by the book unless we have a small group like we did last night. We each played a set with the house band, and it was cool. The house band happens to be one I sit in with from time to time, so I know the material, but everyone there gets along well, so that makes for a good night.
Six Piece Mapex Saturn V, Five Piece DW Performance Series, NOS Slingerland Snares, Centent Ardor and Emperor Cymbals
The jams I went to were in Harlem most of the time. The musicians were players from different groups that were playing in the city at the time, so the jams may not have started till 4 AM.
There were some "showboaters" but they were put in their place pretty quickly.
The ultimate test was if you were asked back. I was. It was that simple.
I've said before that I always was a "jazz" drummer who played R&R because that's where the money was but jazz was always my 1st love.
Last edited by rickthedrummer; 01-05-2017 at 11:10 AM. Reason: ---
Ahhh rick, such good taste in music, such bad taste in football teams...
I think when you are able to play but still at the beginning, jams can be good as it pushes you to think on your feet and play things you might not otherwise play...I go to the one my friends host because of the place (owners are friends and it's 10min walk) and because it's well organized, but even then I think from now on I will only use it to start practice gigging with my music projects.
In the end, i would say at least 80% of the jams I've gone to were not as good as staying home and having a solid 1 hour practice all things considered, and if I add I'm a non-smoker and smoking indoors is still legal here, that number might be 90%
We do an open jam every Monday at our music store....
it's sooooo hit or miss for good musicians.
All of the jams out here are blues jams . Even the "jazz" jam quickly turns into a blues jam . There is no real jazz out here . All you ever get to play that's close to a jazz groove is that "spang a lang swing groove" . I played a samba typ groove once and the band fell apart ! You really have to imply that one out here with these people . So I just stay off the stage and just hang out .
The REAL jazz jams happen at my house on Monday afternoons . My jazzer friends show up and we jam , get lost in the grooves , explore time changes and such . Then in the evening the part time musician friends show up (when they get off of their day jobs) and we just play rock tunes , switch out on the instruments and I get to play guitar or bass and someone else gets behind the drums . Then that's when it becomes a blast !
As I said previously, at the jams I've been to, the talent level has been high. That might be due to the state of the live music here on Long Island, which has seen a resurgence recently. There are many venues which feature live music, and no shortage of quality bands. Many musicians,(like myself) who played in clubs during the heyday of live music in this area from the early 70s to the mid 80s, have come out of retirement and are playing out again.
Acoustic Kits:
Ludwig Maple 3ply White Cortex 4 pc
Rukus Mod Orange Club 4 pc
DW Design 6 pc
Tama Silverstar Limited Edition Mirage 5 pc
Tama Superstar 5 pc
Tama Rockstar 4 pc
Gretsch Catalina Ash 4 pc
Slingerland 7 pc
Electronic Kits:
Yamaha DTX532k
Roland TD-27, Roland PD-85 (x4), PD-125, KD9, CY-8 (x2) VH-10, Lemon 15 and 18 cymbals
Roland SPD-SX Sample Pad
Snares:
Tama SLP Black Brass
Tama SLP G Maple
Rukus Santos/Bubinga/Poplar/Wenge
Rukus Avodire/Maple/Mahogany
1972 Ludwig Supraphonic
Hardware:
Tama, DW, Yamaha and Sonor
Cymbals:
Zildjian A Series, A Custom and K Custom
Microphones:
Miktek, Audix and Shure
Open jams are a great way to play with other musicians you normally wouldn't have a chance to. I try to go to mine often. Gets my name out, and, it is quite fun, being, that the music isn't expected to be perfect. Here, our musicians are a pretty tight group, and some famous players live here now. So, I have seen some awesome talent lately. And on a good note, I was asked to join another local band and we have a gig next Friday night!
1976 Tama Imperialstar Saturn 12+1 Platina6,8,10,12,13,14,15,16 concert toms, 16, 18 floor toms, 2-22x18 Bass drums.
1971 5x14 Ludwig acrolite snare
Tama metalworks snare 13x6
DW collectors Maple Blue Glass7x8, 8x10, 9x12 rack toms, 11x14, 13x16 hanging toms, 18x23 bass, 8 and 12 timbale toms, 5.5x10 Ten and Six All Maple snare, 5.5x14 Supersolid snare, DW 9000 rack system, DW 5002 Double bass pedal, DW 5000 Hi-Hat stand, DW 9000 Snare stand.
Sabian Xs20 cymbals: 16 & 18 crash, 20 ride, 14 hats, 8 splash, 18 china.
Zildjian cymbals: 21 ride, 15 hats. All '70's era.
Acoustic Kits:
Ludwig Maple 3ply White Cortex 4 pc
Rukus Mod Orange Club 4 pc
DW Design 6 pc
Tama Silverstar Limited Edition Mirage 5 pc
Tama Superstar 5 pc
Tama Rockstar 4 pc
Gretsch Catalina Ash 4 pc
Slingerland 7 pc
Electronic Kits:
Yamaha DTX532k
Roland TD-27, Roland PD-85 (x4), PD-125, KD9, CY-8 (x2) VH-10, Lemon 15 and 18 cymbals
Roland SPD-SX Sample Pad
Snares:
Tama SLP Black Brass
Tama SLP G Maple
Rukus Santos/Bubinga/Poplar/Wenge
Rukus Avodire/Maple/Mahogany
1972 Ludwig Supraphonic
Hardware:
Tama, DW, Yamaha and Sonor
Cymbals:
Zildjian A Series, A Custom and K Custom
Microphones:
Miktek, Audix and Shure
We have a local jam here on Sunday nights from 5-9. Its very low key, many of us that are regulars know each other and have played with each other many times. We still invite others who aren't in the regular rotation to play, its a very welcoming bunch. Its not the highest level of music ever, but we have a good time, and its a good way to get some live playing time in.
Depending on the week, there could be 2 drummers or 6 (or more!), so I may or may not get to play a lot, and that's ok. Sometimes I'm playing in the host band, so I get some extra time in.
I'm not doing anything else most Sunday evenings, so I'll go over and hang out. Since i know so many of the folks there, its a fun night regardless. Sometimes we have something special happen, and that's one of the fun parts of a jam, you just never know.
-Brian
"Too many crappy used drum stuff to list"
Play the SONG......not the DRUMS!!!
"I think that feeling is a lot more important than technique. It's all very well doing a triple paradiddle - but who's going to know you've done it? If you play technically you sound like everybody else. It's being original that counts." ~ John Bonham
I need to find some jam nights near me.
I miss playing with other musicians.
Kevin
DW Performance series - Gun Metal Metallic Lacquer
24/12/16 6.5x14
Sabian AA/AAX hi-hats & crashes
Sabian HHX Evolution ride
Drummers can be very tempomental.....
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