Re: Re: [Harp-L] Jam band harpmen - Jazz blues

[<lists@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

> > Here's another dumb one now that I've opened the can, what's a jam band,
is
> > there such a style?
> >   - is that like Led Zeppelin playing live or something?
>
> no.  "jam band" is a sort of meaningless term that is a catch-all
> for bands like phish, blues traveler, moe, govt mule, SCI, DTB, even the
dead.
> common threads include an emphasis on long improvisations, live
performances,
> encouragement of taping/trading, and an enthusiastic community of fans.
> there is a lot of cross pollination between these bands, as members sit in
> with other bands frequently (like warren haynes, who plays about 700 days
> a year).

Although I agree with Garry's answer in all respects (woot ! someone here
knows the DTB ????), I'd say that the early Led Zeppelin was stylistically
close to what some of the jam bands are doing nowadays. The 27 minutes
versions of "Dazed and Confused" in the late 60s, that sounds to me very
much like what the more rock leaning jam bands (Gov't Mule and BT in
particular) are doing today (or were doing in the 90s, for BT). Cream is
another band that did live in the 60s what jam bands are doing now.

However, Garry's point stands because there is a notion of community,
there's a jam scene going on, with artists inviting each other a lot,
artists moving from one band to the next (like the DTB's keyboard player
moving to SCI, for example...)

Anyone willing to see what the jam bands are should get the Bonnaroo 2002
DVD. Not only is it huge musically (and there's a little harp in it with a
band called Galactica), it goes through lots of styles that all influence
each other. Very cool stuff.

Ben FELTEN