[Harp-L] Running Jams

["samblancato" <samblancato@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

--- In harp-l-archives@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, michael harp <diachrome@xxxx> wrote:
> I posted both yours and Bret's post to my local blues society list group.
I
> host our local blues society jam (6 years) in Harrisburg Thursday nights.
> The problems we have mirror Bret's, and we are trying to make changes to
> benefit the players, host and audience. I wanted the local musicians to
see
> the problems aren't unique to one jam.
>
> The possible solution we came up with yesterday is to use a large board to
> post the players and instrument rather then use a signup sheet on a
> clipboard. Everyone can see where they are on the list. The biggest
problems
> I have are the semi-pro/am conflicts.  Since we opt not to use a house
band
> the sets are organized from scratch. I no longer have to play bad guy by
> bumping players because a few guys don't want to play with him.
>
> I make them ASK KINDLY if the musician could switch set slots with another
> player. If the player doesn't want to switch time slots they have the
option
> to wait until it's time for their buddy to play or forfeit playing that
> night.
>  I think some of the conflicts would cease for the host if the players had
> to confront each other instead of pulling the host into bs situations.
>
> If a player is new to the jam I ask them if they are a blues player and
can
> they play blues.  First time players are given a sideman position unless
> they come recommended by one of the semi-pro players at the jam.
>
> Harp players new to the jam are especially questioned. Some are only
> interested in being seen on stage, playing through all the vocals and
solos
> then heading over to the jam in the next town. Some can handle the advice
> afterwards, some you never see again.
>
> mike

This is a really interesting thread for me because I have been kicking
around starting a jam here in Pittsburgh.  Since I don't have a band my self
there wouldn't be a band to go through a set but there would be more time
for jammers to play.  One of the thing that interests me is the idea of a
sign-up board and using blocks of time instead of just having players come
up in what ever order they show up.  I mean, if I attended a jam like this
and saw who I was going to be up there with before hand I quickly find those
guys and try to pull together what we would do before hand as in what
song(s) we wanted to do, what keys, and maybe even how to handle each verse
and how many go arounds we wanted, etc, etc.  Do the musicians ever do this
kind of pre-stage planning at your jams?

Now, the thing is, I am a little more obsessive than other people when it
comes to this sort of stuff.  I've often wanted to approach players at a jam
and say something like 'next week when we play here let's do Shakin Hands
With The Blues and start it on the five and finish at half tempo and when
let's have the guitar lean heavily into my verse etc, etc.

In fact, leaning on each other's solos is something I really like and think
is important to making things really cook.  When I have tried to lean on
another guy (mostly a singer) they don't seem to get it. The week before
last I did this at a jam, leaning gently on the singer's verses on Little
Brown Bird with shakes and long pulls  and he totally go it and even told me
"hey, really nice lean on my singin'".  What I'm getting to here is that I
would like to write and run off copies of jamming guidelines that could be
placed on the tables for people to read. Is this too -- anal?

What about the idea of running a jam without a host band?  How did you
promote the jam so that good musicians knew about it?  How do you handle the
idea of keeping it blues based? What about discouraging certain things, like
Mustang Sally?

Sam Blancato, Pittsburgh

Sam Blancato, Pittsburgh