A jam session

[Lionelsax]

On Friday, Vérène, Sébastien, Frédéri and I led a jam session.
This is the last tune, Stéphan is singing, it's our last tune and first met. Stéphan's wife took the video.

[ragman1]

That was fun!

Where is Stéphan from, Lionel? He doesn't have a very French accent. Or he's very travelled.

[Lionelsax]

That was fun!

Where is Stéphan from, Lionel? He doesn't have a very French accent.

He is French.

[ragman1]

I knew you were going to say that :-)

[Lionelsax]

Everyone was French there, no lost tourists.
A very fine jam session, I didn't know Vérène and Sébastien, we had played for more than two hours maybe three hours, no rehearsal.
Frédéri said : "Why do we need rehearsals ? No list, nothing... It works better than everything !"
For the jam, we only had two singers (Stéphan and a female singer), no instrumentalist.
Vérène even made me sing !
Great moments, good mood...

No drummer !

- Vocal (Vérène)
- Piano (Sébastien)
- Guitar (Frédéri)
- 7 string guitar (a bit of alto saxophone)

[Lionelsax]

I figure out I'm lucky to play with great musicians !

This is Vérène.

This is Frédéri

This is Sébastien

A very good gig !

[kris]

The coolest thing is to play with good musicians. Then the imagination opens and there is concentration.

[Lionelsax]

The coolest thing is to play with good musicians. Then the imagination opens and there is concentration.

It's also very comfortable because everyone knows what's happening.
It's real music, live music.
I don't know if "concentration" is the right word, you feel good and confident, you play with something not against.
Good things happen and it's spontaneous.
Nothing is prepared but all are connected and all are interacting.
Very good vibes !

[ragman1]

Everyone was French there, no lost tourists.

:-)

[Lionelsax]

:-)

Generally the tourists are the listeners, some Americans sometimes say they don't have this in their country.
Maybe they mean they only see this in dedicate places in big towns.
I don't know, I don't know the United States.
A friend of mine who is French and American, said there were many places.
I think he said something weird like you had to pay to play, something like renting a place to play.
I can't remember what he said exactly... If you didn't have the professional card, you couldn't play.
It sounded like a nightmare, maybe I only remember the things I wanted to remember.

[Lionelsax]

One day a guy I know went to the United States to play for a wedding.
The man was looking for a jazz band for his wedding and found it in a French village.
That's very strange.

What's happening in the United States ?

[coldstring]

That is an amazing session. Had a great watch. Thanks for sharing this fun session.

[Lionelsax]

That is an amazing session. Had a great watch. Thanks for sharing this fun session.

Thanks, we are going to play together, that was a very good jam session.

[ragman1]

I think he said something weird like you had to pay to play

There was a discussion about that some time ago. People were saying in the States you had to pay to play in some venues. I don't remember all the details.

[Lionelsax]

There was a discussion about that some time ago. People were saying in the States you had to pay to play in some venues. I don't remember all the details.

Not in the States I think, it was about Japan.
The friend had spent several months in New York near the end of 2008, he had had the opportunity to see Lou Donaldson performing, he wanted to see Les Paul and he had said he regularly performed despite his age and kind of disability.

[ragman1]

No, it was the US (on here). Someone was complaining about it. I don't know what happened.

[DawgBone]

No, it was the US (on here). Someone was complaining about it. I don't know what happened.

Pay to play is mostly a west coast thing in some venues. You gotta be a real moron...

I would just quit playing live if that were the case. The only pay to play gigs in Austin are fools who pay to play during SXSW when there are about 1000 bands in town and clubs can bilk the bands for cash because out of town bands have gotten the false idea think that SXSW=big label exposure. I have bad news... It's a loser for all but national acts and It still doesn't always work out for the clubs so I will sometimes get desperate last minute calls or texts that I happily refuse. I stay the heck away from Austin during that time in March. There is no money there and it really screws up the income of local musicians more often than not. As we call it "south by so what".

[supersoul]

I heard about it for wannabe hair metal bands on the Sunset Strip having to pay to play in hopes of getting discovered and becoming the new Poison.

[JazzPadd]

On the question of pay to play, someone above briefly mentioned Japan in passing. I’m a regular jam session participant near where I live in Japan and the model here, among the several clubs I play at, is something like pay to play. I’ve never participated in jam sessions elsewhere, so I can’t say much in the way of comparison. But in Japan, at least the places I’m familiar with, there are small Mom and Pop venues known as “music houses” or sometimes “jazz cafes.” They host regional and local gigging musicians for shows, but also have open jam sessions once a week or twice a month.

At these open jam sessions, musicians will pay to play, usually a cover or minimum drink charge that’s the equivalent of around $10USD. The venues provide a backline, including amps, piano, drums, percussion, PA, and sometimes a bass or guitar that one can borrow for the night. Those who participate range from amateur hobbyists (like me) to semi-pros on their night off. Sometimes teachers bring their students to get some live stage time.

These jam sessions usually last around 3-4 hours and they’re either casually managed by Mom or Pop or something like a house band, or in some cases self-managed by the participants. The audience at these sessions is usually the other musicians who come to play on any given night, although in many cases they might invite friends and family, and on occasion regular patrons of the bar or cafe might stop by for a drink or a little music. To me, it seems kind of like a community scene.

Some of these venues appear to be regional hubs to which former participants in these jam sessions, some who are now pros, will return when they’re in town. What happens is often unpredictable, but usually enjoyable. For me, it’s an inexpensive night out to play jazz, hang out with musicians, and meet new people. If you’re curious about the details, I keep a monthly “Jam Session Journal” in this forum. Thank you for reading.

[Lionelsax]

On the question of pay to play, someone above briefly mentioned Japan in passing. I’m a regular jam session participant near where I live in Japan and the model here, among the several clubs I play at, is something like pay to play. I’ve never participated in jam sessions elsewhere, so I can’t say much in the way of comparison. But in Japan, at least the places I’m familiar with, there are small Mom and Pop venues known as “music houses” or sometimes “jazz cafes.” They host regional and local gigging musicians for shows, but also have open jam sessions once a week or twice a month.

At these open jam sessions, musicians will pay to play, usually a cover or minimum drink charge that’s the equivalent of around $10USD. The venues provide a backline, including amps, piano, drums, percussion, PA, and sometimes a bass or guitar that one can borrow for the night. Those who participate range from amateur hobbyists (like me) to semi-pros on their night off. Sometimes teachers bring their students to get some live stage time.

These jam sessions usually last around 3-4 hours and they’re either casually managed by Mom or Pop or something like a house band, or in some cases self-managed by the participants. The audience at these sessions is usually the other musicians who come to play on any given night, although in many cases they might invite friends and family, and on occasion regular patrons of the bar or cafe might stop by for a drink or a little music. To me, it seems kind of like a community scene.

Some of these venues appear to be regional hubs to which former participants in these jam sessions, some who are now pros, will return when they’re in town. What happens is often unpredictable, but usually enjoyable. For me, it’s an inexpensive night out to play jazz, hang out with musicians, and meet new people. If you’re curious about the details, I keep a monthly “Jam Session Journal” in this forum. Thank you for reading.

Yes, I was talking about you.

[ragman1]

Open mic nights in Brighton, UK, where I used to live, was very simple. It was nearly always in a pub. The organiser provided the equipment - mic, amps, etc - and you turned up and put your name on a list.

The organiser got paid by the pub but the performers didn't and had to buy their own drinks. It must have been a good formula because obviously the pub were making a profit otherwise they wouldn't go on with it.

So you never had to 'pay to play'. I'm sure most performers would have thought that insulting and gone somewhere else.

But the people on the other thread here I was talking about were all US-based and, literally, had to pay the venue up front to perform. I'm not sure exactly how it worked and I wish I could trace it.

[pamosmusic]

That’s odd. I’ve been to loads of sessions in the US and no one charged to play. Some have had the two drink minimum or something like that but that was for everyone there whether they played or not. Pretty typical to have drink minimums at all kinds of jazz shows, not just sessions. Hate that, but still haven’t been charged to play.

[sgcim]

:-)

When we were kids, we were wandering around the city, and we heard some guys having a jam session, so we banged on the door, and asked them if we could play with them. I don't think we had any instruments with us.
I was of course with my ex-friend who shoved the lobsters in his sax case. He was an annoying PITA.
The guy who opened the door looked stoned out of his mind, and just laughed at us and said no.

[AlsoRan]

There was a discussion about that some time ago. People were saying in the States you had to pay to play in some venues. I don't remember all the details.

Ragman, that was a thread started by Dutchbopper. I am sur you remember him. He posted a lot of his performances and was very good. He also has his own blog dedicated to Jazz Guitar. When he posted, he normally got a lot of responses. Here is that thread, in case you are curioius.

Paying for a gig ... a new trend?

[Lionelsax]

Sometimes, putting a hat somewhere is better.
I will tell you... We are playing today.