How Exactly Do You "Practice Tunes"?

**JCat** · 05-16-2026, 02:23 AM

Originally Posted by Stringswinger

My fee was paid for by the host of the Jam. the Jazz Society of Santa Cruz

Jazz Society of Santa Cruz County

OK, I guess that means it's a funded non-profit activity, municipally financed, charity or annual member fees from the jazz club/society

**JCat** · 05-16-2026, 02:38 AM

I'm trying to make sense of the business case. Like I said, the number of scenes/stages/venues is decreasing here and it's getting harder for new bands to meet an audience. Somebody got to pay the rent for the stage and the house band (assuming the house band doesn't play for free for 4 hours a night)

**djg** · 05-16-2026, 03:27 AM

Originally Posted by AllanAllen

Not be condescending, but it seems like JCat has never been on a stage and has no idea what he's talking about. "who pays the band" is like, naive beyond belief.

the "cat with sunglasses" avatar. it's a warning sign.

**JCat** · 05-16-2026, 04:45 AM

Originally Posted by pamosmusic

I
Apologies, but is there a specific point of confusion?

Yes, I think so,
It seems to me like you've got a very narrow definition of what a "jam session" is, and that this is based on how things currently work in NYC.
In my world, a jam session is an informal get together where people play for fun. Unpretentious. A long time ago a performing band could sometimes end the night by inviting a select few for a jam session (that the paying audience, mostly non-musicians, could enjoy). But like I said above, I haven't seen that in a long time, and when I gig, we don't invite the audience for a jam afterwards (for several reasons, partly logistical)

In my world, a "house band" is a fixed establishment, a permanent crew that typically backs up various guest soloists that people pay tickets to come and see. I don't think this house band enjoys jamming all night.

-Wouldn't it be possible that this house band, maybe once a month or so, run a jam session night; people pay tickets to come and see and/or participate in the jam?

I think one would have to live in a big enough city to attract enough people to break even. But most importantly, when people pay to join, it's not unpretentious anymore. Sometimes when musicians play in front of other musicians, it becomes like a competition, making people uncomfortable (ref. to OP). I don't think that's an ideal environment to learn tunes and I wouldn't recommend anyone to attend such jam before they are ready.

**pamosmusic** · 05-16-2026, 05:02 AM

Originally Posted by JCat

Yes, I think so,
It seems to me like you've got a very narrow definition of what a "jam session" is, and that this is based on how things currently work in NYC.

I don’t think you’re reading a word I’m typing. I lived and played in New York for about a decade. I don’t now. As I said, this is how every jam I’ve ever been to runs.

In my world, a jam session is an informal get together where people play for fun.

Not to be a jerk, but apparently your world isn’t the world of jazz musicians, because the jam session I’ve described has been a feature of jazz music since the thirties at least.

I’ve also been to “jams” with friends in apartments and whatnot. But you’re acting like I’m operating off some defunct and narrow definition of jam session, but it’s actually that your experience is very narrow here.

Unpretentious. A long time ago a performing band could sometimes end the night by inviting a select few for a jam session (that the paying audience, mostly non-musicians, could enjoy). But like I said above, I haven't seen that in a long time, and when I gig, we don't invite the audience for a jam afterwards (for several reasons, partly logistical)

Well sure. I haven’t seen a parrot in a long time but that doesn’t mean they’re particularly rare. It just means my experience doesn’t bring me in much contact with them these days.

In my world, a "house band" is a fixed establishment, a permanent crew that typically backs up various guest soloists that people pay tickets to come and see. I don't think this house band enjoys jamming all night.

Again. Your experience is very narrow here.

I think one would have to live in a big enough city to attract enough people to break even. But most importantly, when people pay to join, it's not unpretentious anymore. Sometimes when musicians play in front of other musicians, it becomes like a competition, making people uncomfortable (ref. to OP).

I think MOSTLY this is a myth based on the assumptions of people who really don’t have much experience. I suppose it’s easy to imagine that every jam session just turns into a cutting room where guys try and one up each other constantly. Smalls got that way sometimes and maybe still does. I’ve really only been to one or two jam sessions that felt like that even in New York. People tend to use that as an example but you also have to understand that, not only is Smalls itself a tourist destination—it’s also the only jam session on the planet that’s essentially televised.

I don't think that's an ideal environment to learn tunes and I wouldn't recommend anyone to attend such jam before they are ready.

Sure.

**brent.h** · 05-16-2026, 06:36 AM

This first video I've posted is an example of some players playing a tune in a very typical jazz jam session. All the instrumentalists could either be the house band or random jammers from the public. (Where I'm from, the house band members usually dress a little nicer than jammers lol.)

Here's the 'tradition' of jazz jams:

Part 1. One of the instrumentalists, let's call him Ezekial2517, will get the ball rolling by calling a tune, its key, its tempo, and sometimes its style (bossa, swing, funk, rnb, etc.).

Part 2. Ezekial2517 (sax) will play the melody/head of the tune in the first chorus. Most times, the person who calls the tune will take the first solo on the 2nd chorus. Sometimes they don't. Sometimes on slower tunes like ballads, they also don't.

Part 3. After which, he hands it off to Jihadi John (piano) to solo, who will hand it off to Shifty Sheila (trumpet). Usually the last person to solo is the bassist, let's call him Takeshi69.

Part 4. After the bass solo, there's usually this thing called 'trading', where an instrumentalist will play four bars of a solo, then the drummer responds with four bars where everyone else stops playing. The order of trades is usually (not always) the same as the order of earlier solos.

So it's Ezekial2517, drummer, John, drummer, Sheila, drummer, Ezekial2517, drummer, John, etc. until the song form is completed to everyone's satisfaction. Takeshi69 will sit out the trading. (At jams, lots of times the bassist doesn't trade.)

Part 5. This goes for a few rounds before Ezekial2517 signals to all players (by touching his head) that the head will be played in the next chorus so that the song can be closed nicely.

In the video, we're at Part 3, in middle of the song where people are coming up and down the bandstand to solo.

There is no 'karaoke' here.

-----

In this 2nd video, Laufey, a pop singer, sings a jazz jam tune with some players backing her. (Again these players can be house or random jammers.)

Unfortunately, Laufey doesn't really understand the 'tradition' at jazz jams, so she treats this song as her 'karaoke'. She sings a chorus then stops. In her mind, this is a nice spot for an instrumental solo break for one of the jazzers. After which she will carry on with the tune and finish it. That was her plan.

You can see the visible confusion between Laufey and trumpeter taking his solo at 3:18. He was expecting to have a longer go at the song because this is supposed to be Part 3, where he gets to solo for a bit. To the trumpeter, Laufey came in at the wrong time. Also, notice that there was not as much opportunity for jazzers to interact as compared to the first video.

-----

A 'karaoke' features that one singer prominently.

A jazz jam tune features EVERYONE on that bandstand, not just a singer.

Now that you know what a 'jazz jam' means to us, my question to you is have you attended one? If no, do you intend on attending one?

**Christian Miller** · 05-16-2026, 07:00 AM

Yeah I’m not sure what JCat is on about tbh

**djg** · 05-16-2026, 07:13 AM

Originally Posted by pamosmusic

People tend to use that as an example but you also have to understand that, not only is Smalls itself a tourist destination—it’s also the only jam session on the planet that’s essentially televised.

KringSessions: Digging with the Amsterdam Cat's - YouTube

**Avery Roberts** · 05-16-2026, 07:41 AM

Very slowly. How slow is slow? 3 seconds between notes.

Cheers
Avery Roberts

**pamosmusic** · 05-16-2026, 07:45 AM

Originally Posted by djg

KringSessions: Digging with the Amsterdam Cat's - YouTube

oh good. Another one.

**CliffR** · 05-16-2026, 09:24 AM

FWIW, the kind of jam Peter is describing is not limited to big US cities. I live in a small town in the UK, and a town with a population of 7,000, about 30 minutes away by bus, has a pub that hosts a jazz jam once a month. The 'house band' is led by the keyboard player, who I think is an academic at Oxford university, a bass player, a drummer, and a young horn player, who by my estimation is pretty good. It's a very welcoming place. Most of the folks who sit in are at a pretty basic level, and you get to hear Autumn Leaves and Blue Bossa at most if not all sessions. Nobody is paid: they do it for the fun. The room is usually full, mostly with wannabe players and their partners, but everybody has a good time and the bar gets to have more customers than normal on a Sunday evening in the middle of no where.

**pamosmusic** · 05-16-2026, 10:02 AM

Originally Posted by CliffR

FWIW, the kind of jam Peter is describing is not limited to big US cities. I live in a small town in the UK, and a town with a population of 7,000, about 30 minutes away by bus, has a pub that hosts a jazz jam once a month. The 'house band' is led by the keyboard player, who I think is an academic at Oxford university, a bass player, a drummer, and a young horn player, who by my estimation is pretty good. It's a very welcoming place. Most of the folks who sit in are at a pretty basic level, and you get to hear Autumn Leaves and Blue Bossa at most if not all sessions. Nobody is paid: they do it for the fun. The room is usually full, mostly with wannabe players and their partners, but everybody has a good time and the bar gets to have more customers than normal on a Sunday evening in the middle of no where.

It’s honestly limited to places who have one or two really good musicians with the patience to put a jam session on. That’s kind of it. Unfortunately there aren’t a lot of folks like that, but it’s certainly not limited to big cities.

**CliffR** · 05-16-2026, 10:06 AM

Originally Posted by pamosmusic

It’s honestly limited to places who have one or two really good musicians with the patience to put a jam session on. That’s kind of it. Unfortunately there aren’t a lot of folks like that, but it’s certainly not limited to big cities.

The commute from Oxford to this pub is a good 30-45 minutes by car, so there's no doubt these people are doing it for the love of it. I seem to remember the leader told me they do it in a variety of places in the area.