PG Music Home Forums General Discussion Off-Topic When is the last time you have been to a open mic/blues jam?

As a jazz trumpet player, one of the few things in music I have never done is a blues jam.

Where would music be without you, Billy? And why did you turn down The Beatles when they called you to replace George? Too busy jamming with Django Reinhart, Muddy Waters and T Bone Walker? Meeting Robert Johnson at The Crosswords to write that 40th song for him? I DO appreciate you collaborating on THIS piece though...



SMDH...

Just so you know.... I saw smiles on the faces of everyone who was at the Herbfest jam, meet and greet, we're making a song and video extravaganza for the song called Life is Hard.... yup, including Eddie.

Even Pat's daughter managed to smile at least once. On second thought.... maybe she was laughing at us....

I think I get what Eddie and Mario mean. Why play a venue for free if the venue makes money off the music I play?

Here is a guy you could go set in with at one of their open mics in NYC. They play mostly Jazz but they can play blues.

The HARLEM JAZZ SESSION is a weekly concert & jam session hosted by 3x Grammy and Latin Grammy winning saxophonist/composer, Peter Brainin, featuring the hottest and most innovative musicians from around the world and around the corner!
Weekly roster includes all star musicians: Paul Bollenback, Cecilia Coleman, Gary Versace, Mike Karn, Anthony Pinciotti and MORE!

Peter Brainin is a Grammy and Latin Grammy winning saxophonist, composer and educator who has toured internationally with Mongo Santamaría, Valery Ponomorev, Hilton Ruiz, Bebo Valdez, Chico O’Farrill, Bobby Sanabria, Arturo O’Farrill & the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra (with whom he’s featured on 2 Grammy winning CD’s), Joris Teepe, Willie Colon & Legal Alien, Samuel Torres, the Mambo Legends Orchestra and John DiMartino as well as with his own quartet and as a guest artist and clinician. In the U.S. he has performed and/or recorded with Wynton Marsalis, Benny Golson, Randy Weston, Harold Mabern, Idris Muhammad, Jerry Gonzalez, Paquito D’Rivera, Israel “Cachao” López, Sheila E., Eddie Palmieri and many other Jazz and Latin Jazz legends. Peter has appeared on over 200 albums including his own as co-leader with Steve Johns (which also feature contributions by Conrad Herwig, George Cables and Ben Monder) and with the quartet Native Soul. A native of the Bronx, he twice received the BRIO (Bronx Recognizes its Own) award for music composition from Bronx Council on the Arts.

Room 623 - Harlem’s Speakeasy

271 W. 119th St.

(btwn Frederick Douglass & St. Nick)

212. 589. 8979

Full calendar, tix & livestream: Room623.com

I would assume you may know some of these guys.

A video of a real open mic/jam session

https://youtu.be/0X-i0RSrq9s

Billy

EDIT: Bebo Valdez died back some time ago. He was a very famous Jazz and Blues piano player from Cuba. He was well known and liked here in Miami. I never knew him but was introduced to his music through a music teacher here in Miami.

If I lived in NYC, I would make it a point to check out this venue just to watch these people.

I'm gonna go with the "laughing"...

Too funny Eddie...lol

But, you need to get the facts straight. Robert only did 29 songs so I would have written the 30th. Well...I would have but we were too involved in the 99's.

I was too busy when Paul called trying to keep from getting shot down while flying with Major Tom.

That was some other guy with my last name because I never co-wrote anything with Mozart. I was still very busy designing another yacht after that first job with Moses.

You forgot to mention the gold records. I am still pretty unhappy about all that. They turned out to be just goal plated. What a rip! Even Riley commented on what a revolting development that was. Then, what does a guy like Jackie Gleason know...lol

You probably need to be pretty old to get the Riley joke...oh well

Billy

Voice to text. It also heard "Crosswords" instead of "Crossroads".

Perhaps that should be on the bucket list Matt.

Many "religious" people only dabble in religion and to those who lean toward the "sacred" tend to be overzealous, extremist or are using it for other purposes.

Most people who play an instrument only dabble: from kids n recorder &/or choir in primary/elementary school to "blues" guitar lawyers.

What's left of the "industry" can only support X number of players and even in it's prime the X was simply bigger, not universal.

Putting aside the brain development & learning assistance taking up an instrument provides, there's an huge music education industry for folk who start out wanting to be a star, or an adept, but end up, very happily, being dabblers.

The User Showcase is many things to many people...it's often a dumping zone for click collectors, often a "listen to me but I'll not listen to you" platform and often it's a look what I did, give me a pat on the back zone. I'm selfish, I use it for the ears of several members & the occasional collaboration with some of them. I post songs in development looking for better ears and different perspectives as I work on them. I'm happy with critical analysis of my stuff though I know many aren't interested in that sort of help. Afterward I'll post a finished song &, probably, a video to demonstrate the result of the process.

I'm an old retired person and I write/play/record because it meets a need, fills a hole and I enjoy it.
I don't jam because I don't think I play well enough and despite being a teacher for 40 years, I'm quite shy.I "interact" via the internet...it's what I have.

There are some really kind musicians in the world. Many are more than happy to share their love of music with other people. They will do their very best to bring you on stage and make you a part of the crew. They will play to whatever level of skill you have. That certainly does not happen at every "jam session," but it does happen often.

I once had a friend who graduated from North Texas University in music. He could play anything. He was super nervous about playing in a jam. I hope I influenced him to overcome his fear of public performance.

There are as many reasons to go to a jam session as there are musicians. No matter the reason, it can be a little scary to be on stage in public. Public speaking and playing music, both take some getting used to.

We now live in a world where we can stand behind an avatar and be almost completely isolated from the real world—living our lives vicariously through TV and the internet. There is nothing wrong with that, giving many people a place to belong. Many, if not most young people seem to prefer it that way.

The need for acceptance is one of the most driving human motivations that exist. That is true for the first grader at show and tell to one of us posting a song on a forum. The fear of not being accepted prevents many people from playing in front of anyone. One of the cool things about this forum is anyone can create a song using BIAB without any ability to play any instrument.

The "blues jam" thing is sort of a universal meeting place where everyone more or less knows what to expect. It will likely be twelve bars in a more or less standard format. It works as well in Japan as it does in Mississippi. No need to speak the language of the country because the language of music is universal.

Perhaps living alone connected only by Zoom is the way of the future. Working from home is getting more common. Perhaps automation will remove the need for live people at the food market. Machines and software will drive the cars. Robotic dogs for pets. Software that makes the song for you just by telling it what you would like to hear. If that is the future I am glad I am getting old and will not be around to have to deal with it.

At least it is not like that yet. People are kind and interact with me every day. Jams still exist and the people there at least put up with my amateur guitar playing!

Billy