[Harp-L] RE: Harp-L Digest, Vol 70, Issue 15

["Tom Stryker" <tstryker1@xxxxxxxxx>]

Like Michael, I have participated in every Jazz Jam except at SPAH
Conventions with few exceptions.  Having been an active member since 1980,
some were great and one in particular was horrible.  Remembering the latter,
coming into office for SPAH, I vowed it would never happen this way again
and after much discussion amongst all, thank you, enlisted Randy to head the
Jam.  We moved the jazz venue to the lounges of the host hotels, eventually
to the delight of the management for the free music and increased bar
revenues.  Each year, I have to sit down and convince the hotel management
to release their lounge to us for the jam because we are view just as
"harmonicas."  It is not an easy situation but we carry a big stick because
of bring the convention to the particular hotel.  When selecting a hotel for
a convention, the Jazz Jam venue is in the forefront. 

Ages of SPAH? They are all good ages.. some ages in appearance to the
members may have been better than others and in the background, some were
absolute financial disasters.  Throwing money at the conventions to have
high powered entertainment is not the only answer.  It was shameful the
audience and attention Toots and Mauricio had some time back. But that's
jazz. We have some excellent players amongst us through the years and the
future really looks exciting.  SPAH is still evolving, thankfully, and who
knows what will be the most remembered era.  I think that will change with
each generation.  I personally have never thought of an "era" of SPAH.  Like
Michael Polesky, I am so pleased to have been able to mix with so many good
people while in pursuit of the instrument I so love. Maybe each person has a
favorite SPAH Convention that is their ear, but having been a member since
1980, they have all been good for me.

Intimidation?  Well, initially I think most performers, jazz or otherwise,
feel intimidated when performing in front of an audience.  However, remember
this, a true jazz player does not intimidate or put down another player.
He/she is appreciative of your contributions as everyone has something to
offer.  If one can't handle embarrassment or feelings of inadequacy, they
are not participating enough.  Mistakes are made by all and at all levels.
It's part of the game so get used to it.

Beginners?  Sure, we all have to start somewhere.  However, having a
beginners jazz jam does have its complications logistically.  It starts with
the number of people that attend the convention and the number of people
that want that function, not just the few that want to talk about.
Although the Hallway Jazz Jam was not designed for any particular level of
player, it is a perfect spot to get your feet wet.  Phil has many pro tracks
and Randy & I have shared our Band In A Box libraries.  If you read, the
BIAB manuscript will be displayed on the screen to assist you.  With these
libraries, it is difficult to imagine a jazz song or standard that is not
represented.  Further, many pros use BIAB to get familiar with songs or a
phrase. This is a great too.  If you want to play other styles of songs,
remember that Dick Lawrence is tirelessly there with his trio to back anyone
up who wants to play anything and this is great place to hone your
improvisational skills.  Oh, BTW, Jon Eriksen, a premier jazz harmonicists
and vibe player, will conduct a jazz seminar at SPAH.  I chatted with Jon
and stressed the need to lecture with the basics of jazz rather than deep
theory that most are not ready for at this point in time.


This year, we will have the great Joann Grauer doing the keyboard honors at
SPAH giving Ron Kalina a break.  Joann is from my home town, Reno, and was a
pro a 14 having worked with Bill Evans and recorded when she was 16.  She
also worked with, and is great friends with, Ron Kalina.  I have worked with
here numerous times. In addition to being a premier Jazz Musician, she is
also an excellent classical pianist.  She will be with local musicians for
drums and bass at the Jazz Jam.  Google her.. or go here
www.magnebit.com/vsoprecords/vsop/vsop58.htm 

This years' SPAH Convention in Sacramento will be a good one.  A lot of
surprises.  With an administration that is made up of key professionals for
the job they do for SPAH and members from the ranks, you can be sure the
convention will be memorable for all.  Be there... and if it is an
opportunity to play jazz, you shall have that opportunity in a personally
secure way.  

I am lovin' the interest in the Jazz Jam and it is noted!  Thanks all.

Stryker




 


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Message: 1
Date: Wed, 03 Jun 2009 15:27:00 -0700
From: "Michael Polesky, MPA" <m.polesky@xxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [Harp-L] Thoughts on SPAH jazz jam
To: <harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx>
Message-ID: <0B70E87088D74E35BDB3423489ADF05E@SherriPC>
Content-Type: text/plain;	charset="iso-8859-1"

Hi All,

I will make a few statements here that are really assumptions on my part.
Everybody knows I have forgotten how bad my memory is, so don't expect 100%
accuracy.  These thoughts are more about how difficult it really is to
provide a good jam for SPAH than you might expect.  I am not privy to any
special information and my observations may not be scientific at all, but
this is what I "guess" has happened over the different years.

I think that we are very lucky that SPAH can have a jazz jam.  I have
attended SPAH all but one year since the jazz jam started in 1998 and I am
absolutely addicted to it!  Randy Singer, the SPAH board and all the great
jazz harmonica players who have come out to share this experience with us
have made this an institution.  I have always felt that any level player was
welcome.  I have always thought of the jazz jam as a gift to players, like
me, who don't play professionally on a regular basis.  You get a live,
professional rhythm section and some of the best players in the world to
share your time with.  On the other hand, I can see why it might be
intimidating to some players at various times.

The setting and atmosphere for the jazz jam is always a surprise to me.
Sometimes I don't figure out where it is being held until 15 minutes before
it starts.  I generally try to find one of the rhythm section and follow
them around until they get to where we are supposed to be.  We definitely
get a bigger crowd listening in when we are in a place where people can see
us and I know that SPAH figured this out and is providing that kind of area
as a general rule now - but it really depends on the hotel.  After all,
there is no way to convince the hotel that it will sell more drinks or get
more return customers in exchange for a bunch of harmonica players doing
karaoke for two nights.  Having an "amateur night" is probably not something
most hotels consider holding in the middle of the lobby, restaurant or bar
very often.  I am guessing that in some way, arranging for that must become
part of the overall negotiations for a hotel for the whole group.  Just
because WE KNOW we ar!
 e going to fill up the bar/restaurant/lobby and help sell lots of drinks
doesn't mean that they do or that they want to promote that atmosphere in a
family environment.  In the end, the hotel has a lot of say over what we do
in their "public space" than in the private meeting halls.  Some hotels have
asked the harmonica players not to play in their public spaces and have even
complained about the blues jam.  Most hotels don't say anything, but it
happens.

Another problem is putting together a rhythm section.  I know that one year
they hired a rhythm section separate from the rest of the back-up musicians
for the shows, but most years they have not done this.  Instead, they have
opted to use musicians hired to back up the main shows for the jam rhythm
section.  I assume they do this because it makes good financial sense.  Why
hire a whole separate band when you have one already there?  The
disadvantage is that it means that the timing of the jazz jam has to
coincide with the availability of the musicians and, if the show runs late
that night, the jam starts late.  Also, the rhythm section gets very tired
and wants to leave right on time anyway, because they have been playing all
night long.  Although Ron Kalina plays keyboard for us, there are not
harmonica players from the convention itself to fill the rest of the rhythm
section.  We are very lucky to have Ron and all the guitars hanging around
for the blues jams at the conve!
 ntion as harmonica players for whom this is not just any job.  I know from
experience that not all the hired musicians have felt that the jazz jam and
also the shows were serious gigs.  Our peers approach it differently.  It
would be great to have a professional drummer and bass player who were both
harmonica players for the shows and the jams, but that just isn't the case.
Instead, we have to hope that the hired musicians like what's going on.

Another aspect, which I sometimes find amusing, is that not all the jazz
players feel comfortable participating each year.  I have always felt
welcomed - especially by those players who are far bittern than me.  I have
seen us sit there several times and just drop our jaws and not take
advantage of the rhythm section when we had a chance because we were
embarrassed to start and too nervous to know what to do - myself included.
I remember one year when the rhythm section wasn't available until late and
none if us wanted to go on first.  The first 10 to 20 minutes were like a
Phillip Glass concert.  Absolute silence.  It is up to each one of us to
make sure that everybody gets a chance to participate.  Randy is a pro at
it, but it is also up to the participants.  I have never had a fear of going
up because I already know that someone there is going to play far better
than I will no matter what I do.  I accept that and, instead, it is a bit of
a social occasion for me.  A chan!
 ce to share with friends where I am at.  Everybody is so encouraging that I
get over my nervousness and come up and play.  I do try to encourage and
share with others.

It's not that I don't get nervous.  Each year there at at least 3 or 4 guys
who out-class me by so much it makes me feel tiny in the whole cosmic realm
of things, but they are all so warm and happy to share the stage with me
that I get past that.  On the other hand, when the jazz jam starts, I
immediately forget every tune I ever played in my life and - Randy can
verify this - I can't think of a single tune to call except what I called
last year and the year before (and the year before that).  I still get a
case of the nerves out there.

I remember one year I hosted one night and it went by as such a blur because
I couldn't get my nerves settled.  It didn't go over so well that year, but
we survived.  One thing that happened that upset me very much was that the
hired bass player brought a friend of his to come play starting the band up
early before the break was over.  Then he proceeded to let his friend play a
rather poor version of something like Whammer Jammer for 15 minutes on our
dime.  I was seriously pissed off that this happened on my watch.  I didn't
say anything to the bass player until after the show, but it was
inexcusable.

These are just a few things that can go wrong with holding the perfect jazz
jam.  It can get to be a complicated thing.  We really have to consider
ourselves very lucky to have the jazz jam in a great venue.  I want to thank
all the people like Randy Singer and the SPAH boards of past and present for
giving me the opportunity to participate in the jazz jam.  It takes a lot
more than you might think to get things going - plus you have to set up the
sound system and rearrange the room for optimal enjoyment at the last
minute.

Just a few jumbled thoughts,

Michael

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