Blues jam adventures and advice

[Jim_Schmidt]

I thought I might post my recent adventure at a local blues jam with some post-game thoughts. Any advice other than what I'm giving myself would be appreciated.

I've played in bands, including one that gigged out about 50 times between 2012 and 2016, but before a couple weeks ago, I'd been to an open jam exactly once. That once, I went with my bandmate, who is a quite solid slide player. We got up and played "Statesoboro Blues," "One Way Out," and "Keep Your Hands to Yourself" cuz we'd played them tons of time in our gigs. It was basically: hey, drummer and bass player, figure it out and keep up if you don't know these songs. It went pretty well cuz we had (what's it called?) practiced.

My more recent experience was very different. This jam is just starting up at a local brewpub. It's basically a keyboard player who sings and runs it plus whoever shows up. The owner plays drums. Last time, an outstanding local guitar player showed up as did an excellent harp guy and a decent bass player. This pickup band played a number of good songs, and along the way, some other drummers and bass players joined in.

I had signed up, so the owner was encouraging me to get up when the leader and everyone who had been playing at that point took a break. I reluctantly did. Another drummer and the decent bass player joined. All of a sudden me and two dudes I didn't know from Adam were "the band." OK, fine. Not what I signed on for, but here we go. Started out with "Hoochie Coochie Man." Super-easy, there you go. Went decent, other than the bass player didn't always hit the changes in the chorus. Now what? OK, bluesy version of "Never Been to Spain," as we used to play it in the band I gigged with. That went swell, as they used to say. Uh ... Next ... Well, I play "Key to the Highway" at home a lot. That's gotta be easy, right? Wrong. I stupidly tried to start from the turnaround. Bad idea, cuz turns out I can't really play it when I have to. And then there's the fact that it's 8-bar, not 12. Me and the bass player could never get together. I finally just called it: trainwreck. At that point, the keyboard guy returned and saved us. I played along for several songs and that went fine (even good at points) ... although how The Dead's "Franklin's Tower" qualifies as blues, I don't know.

What I learned from this ... Keep it even simpler than you think. No fancy intros or what have you. If you're in charge, communicate everything: feel, tempo, whole progression until you know everyone's got it. Oh, yeah, and keep it simple.

Anybody got any other advice for such situations? I'm going again on Monday, and I fear a repeat.

 

[tommytubetone]

I thought I might post my recent adventure at a local blues jam with some post-game thoughts. Any advice other than what I'm giving myself would be appreciated.

I've played in bands, including one that gigged out about 50 times between 2012 and 2016, but before a couple weeks ago, I'd been to an open jam exactly once. That once, I went with my bandmate, who is a quite solid slide player. We got up and played "Statesoboro Blues," "One Way Out," and "Keep Your Hands to Yourself" cuz we'd played them tons of time in our gigs. It was basically: hey, drummer and bass player, figure it out and keep up if you don't know these songs. It went pretty well cuz we had (what's it called?) practiced.

My more recent experience was very different. This jam is just starting up at a local brewpub. It's basically a keyboard player who sings and runs it plus whoever shows up. The owner plays drums. Last time, an outstanding local guitar player showed up as did an excellent harp guy and a decent bass player. This pickup band played a number of good songs, and along the way, some other drummers and bass players joined in.

I had signed up, so the owner was encouraging me to get up when the leader and everyone who had been playing at that point took a break. I reluctantly did. Another drummer and the decent bass player joined. All of a sudden me and two dudes I didn't know from Adam were "the band." OK, fine. Not what I signed on for, but here we go. Started out with "Hoochie Coochie Man." Super-easy, there you go. Went decent, other than the bass player didn't always hit the changes in the chorus. Now what? OK, bluesy version of "Never Been to Spain," as we used to play it in the band I gigged with. That went swell, as they used to say. Uh ... Next ... Well, I play "Key to the Highway" at home a lot. That's gotta be easy, right? Wrong. I stupidly tried to start from the turnaround. Bad idea, cuz turns out I can't really play it when I have to. And then there's the fact that it's 8-bar, not 12. Me and the bass player could never get together. I finally just called it: trainwreck. At that point, the keyboard guy returned and saved us. I played along for several songs and that went fine (even good at points) ... although how The Dead's "Franklin's Tower" qualifies as blues, I don't know.

What I learned from this ... Keep it even simpler than you think. No fancy intros or what have you. If you're in charge, communicate everything: feel, tempo, whole progression until you know everyone's got it. Oh, yeah, and keep it simple.

Anybody got any other advice for such situations? I'm going again on Monday, and I fear a repeat.

If it’s a well attended jam, it’s possible you won’t get up there with any of the host band members, so don’t expect to. Other than that, you pretty much have it figured out. If you see a lengthy discussion going on before the band starts a song, it will probably go off the rails. Oh, and keep it simple.

 

[Jim_Schmidt]

To add on a bit ... If you keep it simple, how do you keep it from turning into a "blues grinder," in which all the songs really sound alike? Any thoughts on this?

That's kinda what happens at this event already, and I've seen it lots with less good cover bands or solo acoustic folks over the years. They just play the chords in whatever rhythm pattern they know and sing the words. It's kinda the song, but pretty much not. For instance, if you put Texas Flood and Red House in the same key and cut out the interesting intro bits, you could hardly tell the difference (as I think Griff notes somewhere).

 

[tommytubetone]

Keeping it simple to me would be not straying too far from the I IV V pattern. Starting from the 5 and a quick change should be communicated before the song starts. If the progression is a little different the singer should hold up fingers to indicate what chord to play. Let us know how it goes tonight.

 

[MarkDyson]

They just play the chords in whatever rhythm pattern they know and sing the words. It's kinda the song, but pretty much not.

 

[Iheartbacon]

although how The Dead's "Franklin's Tower" qualifies as blues, I don't know.

At least that’s an easy one! They could have chosen something less simple like St. Stephen into The Eleven.

“...and then after the last chorus we will jam for a few bars and then transition into 11/4 time. Okay, everyone got it? Just follow me!”

 

[MikeS]

I'm certainly not one to give you advice on jams, because I ALWAYS want to go then sit in my recliner and find an excuse not to go.
However...
1) If you aren't comfortable/expecting to lead a song, tell them that you can't, don't want to... THat's what the house band is th3re for. they should have ONE person that CAN lead if need be.
2) there are a handful of blues standards. Learn them so that you CAN call them out if you need to.
3) if you aren't 1000% certain that you know the flashy parts of songs (intros from the V or fancy outtros) keep it simple, play from the I, not the V. Learn a simple Basie ending for the outtro and indicate it with a raise of your head stock and look around at the other players (they should be watching you for cues).
4) expect the occasional train wreck and revel in it. (LOL WAY easier said than done.)

 

[Jim_Schmidt]

Reporting in ... So last night it was just the leader, the decent bass player, a guy who played guitar at the first session, some drummers, and me. The other guitar player brought an old lap steel (1941, he said), which was awesome. So he played that most of the night, plus some bass, and eventually picked up his LP Studio. He's about 1 level better than me, not the many levels of the guy last week. So that reduced the stress. I ended playing the whole night, 2.5 hours straight. I haven't done that since our band shut down in 2016. And, I'm feelin' it today. It was fun, tho' it has its challenges. E.g. "OK, let's play Red House, but let's do it in G and as a kind of swing blues." Adaptation is key.

 

[david moon]

If I was there, I would probably be the "decent bass player"

Red house is a shuffle/swing feel. If you're playing barre chords a key change is no big deal;

 

[Jim_Schmidt]

I mean it was very bouncy, not the slow blues that it actually is. And, yeah, changing keys is not a problem. It just seems gratuitous, since it's not like that song has a ton of range that would make it hard to sing. The whole thing adds to the grinder effect I was describing earlier.

 

[MarkDyson]

Since we're talking about the blues jam experience, I might most humbly submit that for folks of lesser skill level, who've finally scraped up enough courage to venture to a jam, that "grinder" style of playing (banging out chords and singing) might be the limits of their ability—and a source of pride that they've come that far. Speaking out for a friend.

Whether the ensuing jam experience is a high point in their musical journey or a source of disappointment and discouragement relies heavily on how the rest of the attendees accommodate, encourage, and welcome them.

 

[Jim_Schmidt]

Good point. The people who come to this particular one to participate or listen are quite supportive. And beer certainly helps, quite good beer in this case.

 

[MarkDyson]

Good point. The people who come to this particular one to participate or listen are quite supportive. And beer certainly helps, quite good beer in this case.

Mmmmmmmm.... Where do I sign up!?

 

[MikeS]

It's kind of funny.
I have no qualms at all about playing my classic rock gigs 4 hour shows? not prob!
Get up at a jam and do 3 songs? As I've said elsewhere. I find every excuse in the book not to go.

 

[Bernie Fitz]

I can't say I have no qualms about playing out at all, I still get pretty nervous before most gigs, but we're usually playing in bars, wineries or breweries and getting up in front of a bunch of people drinking and partying is not so bad. The idea of going out to a jam, signing in and saying "I'm going to play such and such" in a room full of guitar players petrifies me. I would feel like such a fraud.

 

[Jim_Schmidt]

MikeS, and Bernie Fitz: I hear you, and then some. Gigs with a band that's practiced are fine, tho' they wear me out. The 9 p.m.-1 a.m. thing should be against the Geneva Convention if you're over 50.

I'll add that I think I kinda sidetracked my original thread. I'm really just musing about how lead a blues jam, if that "opportunity" presents itself again. Last time, the jam leader took a break (read: went out to smoke a joint), and I did one song. We had the slide, so it was an attempt at Statesboro Blues, which I'd done with our gigging band many times. I couldn't resist the temptation to start it "right" ala the Fillmore East version with the stop time and the slide licks. It wasn't terrible, but it wasn't great. I suppose it's just better to take it from the top, etc.

The thing I find most challenging, at this blues jam or in general, is that combo of rhythm/lead that legends such as Hendrix or SRV were SO good at. If I was posting suggestions for Griff, I'd suggest more lessons/AAP sessions on that. Something like: The Blues Trio, or whatever. Maybe they're here already, since I'm still exploring the vast amount of content.

 

[Iheartbacon]

Oh yeah, the ability to seamlessly flow up and back between lead and rhythm is completely lacking from my toolbox!

 

[Jim_Schmidt]

Glad to hear there are others who feel my pain. I need to write a song called "The Rhythm and Lead Blues."

 

[straightblues]

You gotta keep it super simple. I have been playing a long time, and have never played some of your songs. Hoochie Coochie Man has a couple of different parts. Getting people on the same page for that song isn't easy. Key to the Highway is 8 bars and everyone seems to play a different turn, again not easy. Stick to standard 12 or 16 bar songs. Avoid songs with fancy turn arounds like people try to play on Stormy Monday. Tell people if there is a quick change and leave it at that. Otherwise, it just ends in a trainwreck.

Jams are not a quality performance. They are an outlet so everyone can have fun and play a little. There are typically rough starts and rough endings. There are typically little to no dynamics. Accept them for what they are and have fun. Yes, occasionally you will end up with great players who get everything, but those times are the exception, not the rule.

 

[david moon]

I had the good fortune to play bass behind Griff at a Orange County Blues Society jam a few years ago. Opposite of a Trainwreck. All the players were pretty accomplished.

In contrast, at the last New England jam, we crashed a local blues jam and there was one guy that just said this song is by "so and so", no explanation of the structure, and then when he played, his rhythm was all over the place and no one could follow what he was doing.

At my local open mic, it's not really a jam situation. Ocassionally there might be a spontaneous duo or group assembled, but it's mostly solo acoustic stuff.