I may have gotten out of bed on the wrong side today, but I have to take a
contrarian position on some of the things alluded to in this thread. I fully
agree with Richard’s enumeration of pro vs. amateur characteristics. And I
agree with most of what everybody else has said, except, there seems to be an
undercurrent, that amateurs should sit and watch and some how it’s ok if a pro
puts the amateur in their place (i.e. off the stage). This rubs me the wrong
way.......bigtime. If a pro wants to play with pro players only, then he/she
should go to a “by-invitation-only” jam. Blues jams are by their very nature
“open”. That means that anyone who signs up gets to play. I have no problem
with giving the pros more time and trying to match players of “similar”
abilities. This is very hard work for the host and is often overlooked by the
attendees eager for their time to play. If a pro-player comes to a jam, then
this is what he/she should expect. The comment was made “No pro wants to be
around anything that can needlessly embarass them in any way.....” Hey guess
what? No amateur wants to be needlessly embarrassed either. Embarrassing
someone is rude behavior. There is no excuse for being rude. Part of being a
pro is not being rude, especially to other musicians who admire you. Having
said that, I’ve experience much more rudeness from amateurs than any pro
player. An open blues jam is open. Its not anybody’s private party. But
these jams are the primary venue for new players to work with other musicians.
After woodshedding, its time to see what you can do in a live environment.
Everyone should check their ego at the door.
Best Regards to All,
Larry Boy Pratt www.parkhousejam.com