Re : RE: jazz jam, "form"

["" <party_man1@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Well fellows & gals :

When it comes to a song , it can be played in any key and most professionals can do it and do it with the same kind of pride a spanish matador does as he walks away from the kill after a bullfight , the band does the same thing as they finish a song and look at the person (-: like the dead bull :-) who requested the particual key. 

I suspect that when and where you were the personel onstage didn't not know the song you requested in the key you stated you would like to play it in . 

But , not to diss any musicians that have jam sessions and get request for keys they are not used to playing .

Jazz Jams . 

This is an area I understand full well . I live in an area where the night clubs ( was this way in the beginning , now with the many new indian casinos it has changed quite a bit ) have live Jazz jams , most are set up for the " Standards & Show Tune types ( yep lots of retired people here in this desert area of Palm Springs Southern California ) . Since this poses a problem to many diatonic harmonica musicians they ( the bands who run these sessions ) don't see many of that breed of harmonica musician . Diatonic musicians usually hang with the  "Blues , Rock & Country Western " bands who are guitar dominated primarily and the opposite occurs with the Jazz scene with horns & piano men types and not so many guitar players .


So what  is the best way to hit a Jazz jam session :


When I was trying to improve as a diatonic musician while working a regular day job in the 1970's , I would hit all sorts of different types of jam sessions in one single days outing  , Country Western , Rock , and when possible here in this area a Blues jam would occur ( but never often enough ) and the Jazz sessions which came in many different flavors , there were the " straight ahead traditional ones ( you gotta nail it good and not just a jammed version of any songs they played , you had to nail it squarely  on the melody line if you wanted back into that session ), then the Dixieland types , lots of freedom there , Broadway ShowTunes were and still are the gnarlyest ones to nail on the diatonic , Country  Western was the best fun of all , with a more than friendly audience over all and the most openly receptive of the audiences over all like the Blues jam session audiences .


How to approach a Jazz Jam Session .


This is about the most important thing to know :


#1: 

Carry a full quiver of harps to accomodate any singer's range and or the range of the band who backs the jam .


#2: 

When asked what key you want it in  , these are the "Magic Words " to say and it works 99.9% of the time as far as cutting through the over  tension that a jam usually has ( the band knows and feels this while the audience is oblivious to it ) , and smile to the leader who asked you the key and say " What Ever Is Easy Man " and repeat it when  asked again with a smile on your mug too !. Now get ready to pull out something new to you as a traditional diatonic  man( woman ) who is used to using guitar freindly keys like " C , D , E , G and A  " . You will more than likely be using " C's& C#'s , Eb's , Ab's F's & Bb's & B's. This is the case when you see trombones & trumpets , clarinets , flutes & sax's on stage with a piano man and a huge double bass player at a Jazz jam session .


Use this little courtesy to break the ice and you will always be happy you did because : 

#1:

It defuses the tension of being an unknow factor and the limits you may or may not have to them . You see you have to give them a focusing point to begin with ( ¡ consider this , they don't know you ! ) once they are focused and in the  " pocket " , you then can focus in on them and what they are doing ( it's their Jazz jam session remember  .... your the guest ) and use your profound qualities as a listener to learn and adjust and get in the groove with them and not they into your groove , this is the forté of the typical diatonic killer player  ( or what you should be trying to aspire to , as all really great harp men are capable of and do ) . Once your into their groove they can focus in on you and not till then .

#2 :

Makes you look like a " Real Musician " to them and the " I'm O.K. your O.K. thang happens in a flash at the start not in the middle or the end of the song . It also allows them to play " relaxed " ,  that in turn will help you loads ! ! ! 

#3:

After the song(s) are through , you are now a known factor and not a liability that could mess up their gig there at that club . When it goes down like that , you can bet you will always be welcomed on their stage and for that matter any other stage even if only one of these  musicians are playing a jam and recognizes you for being so "accomdating " when you first said  to them  ," What Ever Is Easy Man " . 


In closing :

As a Harp " player " you are up agaisnt the odds to begin with because of the very nature of our little beast the harmonica . Since it is a relatively un expensive purchase many try their luck , of those who start out of 100 novice players , maybe 10 stick with it and out of the 10 only 2 to 3 get proficiant . Now realize this factor we as harmonica players have to over come .  

It's like this , a guy sees a Jazz jam and remembers it and returns the following week end and trys to get in and does and has only one harp on him and its a key that the Jazz band doesn't use much , but now on stage they try and they do a not so inspiring job , the harmonic player notices that its not really happening and then it is over . 

Results :

The band knows ( or feels ) that that harp player is a wannabe  , the harmonica man seems put out since the band didn't really get down and feels cheated to some degree since he wasn't given  " room  to move " on stage when it comes to really letting you harp rip it up like you know it can , the audience claps like they  have only one hand and the estabishment see's sales go down in the beverage $'s , and tells the band " No More Harmonica Players " ,or " Because half the crowd left during that harmonica players set , no more Blues ! 

We as harp players have that to over come always so never forget it .  

Sincerely :

Hurricane Ramon

aka : 

Party_Man1@xxxxxxxxxx     



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