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For the last 30 years, I have played solo due to pre-retirement time restrictions and post-retirement preferences. When I began in Music in the 60's, it seemed as if everyone played a musical instrument, especially guitars. So, let's say you are ready to start a trio or quartet with musicians relatively close to home. How do you find them? How difficult is it today?
Marinero
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10-24-2022 12:50 PM
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Does your city or town have a Jazz Jam ?
Originally Posted by Marinero
Maybe you can drop by and see if there are musicians that you feel you can work with.
At the very least make connections with musicians in your town. Musicians tend befriend other musicians. If you don’t feel that you gel with the guys onstage, maybe they can point you in a direction to lead you to new musical colleagues.
I hope that helps
Feel free to contact me directly if you have any questions
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
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I don't have an answer for you since I have not looked for that kind of musical situation. However, I can observe that in my teens and 20s, it seemed that everywhere I went, somebody had a guitar and people were open to just jamming on the spot. I don't know if there was a cultural shift or that as we get older we have other obligations that preclude that kind of spontaneous socializing (i.e. "hanging out"), or both and maybe other factors, but that whole scene seemed to have completely disappeared.
It seems these days as if people wander around lost in their own individual musical worlds with earbuds and cell phones replacing guitars strapped to their backs or carrying a guitar case. Or maybe I am just getting old and am sounding like everybody else in every generation that came before mine, in their observations of the world as it changed underneath them.
TonyLast edited by tbeltrans; 10-24-2022 at 01:35 PM.
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Depends where you live. NYC, maybe not so hard. Koyukuk, Alaska, maybe a little harder
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Definitely first and best way is at the local jam. There might be more than one near you. Then the next best thing would be attending shows. Basically just being present at the venues where the music that you like is happening.
Then there are the more "new" ways haha. Instagram and YouTube.
And there are music shops and teaching studios. As a teacher I would help my students link up with likeminded players if the opportunity presented itself.
Then you cross reference the things I listed above. Look up the names of teachers, find their websites and follow their YouTube and Instagram.
It's true that not all the good local musicians will be doing the online thing, but honestly most of us are. It's part of the job these days to make yourself easy to find online.
I personally keep a list of local musicians and am on the search virtually every day, checking up on Instagram etc. When I meet someone at a jam I make sure to follow them right away, usually on Instagram, then I check up on their playing later, see if they have any recordings on Spotify or videos on YouTube, etc.
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I always found a good music store (instruments, records, etc) to be a decent communications hub for musicians. There aren’t many left, but if you have one in your community you might find it helpful. Contact sources abound among employees, customers and bulletin boards. If you’re known to at least one or two regulars, make them aware of your interest / need. And check in every few weeks, even to the extent of trying a new instrument or amp in which you might be interested.
Local jams with decent house bands are another contact source. If you get known as a good guy who can play, you’ll be sought out when they need a sub or replacement. And you may find common ground with another solo player you discover in a restaurant etc.
There are also meeting boards on most good school websites. Berklee and many others have serious job boards you can access as a potential source of employment for their students and alums.
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Depending on the culture and locale, jam sessions can offer opportunities. Not interested in joining steady or gigging group here, but been a regular at local jam sessions for years. Seen people hang for a while, find some one and form a group. It’s a pattern for sure, at least here. If available, certainly worth a try, becoming part of a local scene. Nowhere near a big city, there’s still several places within a 40mn drive, one in 5 mn, and on any given week at least two opportunities to meet and play with others. Even if not to join a regular group. it’s a lot of fun.
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Originally Posted by Marinero
- I have not found a group, I've been going to local jams for 11 months and had an ad up for 3 years.
- It is harder than I thought it would be
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I'll assume you are looking to play professionally, not just for fun.
Find a musician or group that has gigs and is playing your kind of music. Go their gigs and get to know them. (Introduce yourself with a complimentary remark.) Do this as much as you can with as many people as you can. Let it be known that you have pro skills and are looking to work. Somebody will give you a shot, probably to sub.
I know several guys that were new in town and did exactly this, and they were soon working. Of course, you have to be good. I should mention that I live in an area with a population of about a million. In a small town it would be tough.
I wouldn't waste my time with open jams unless there are pros there. Never join a group where you are clearly the best musician in the band. You'll regret it.
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"I wouldn't waste my time with open jams unless there are pros there. Never join a group where you are clearly the best musician in the band. You'll regret it." Gilpy
Hi, G,
This is an essential element for a jam session as I knew from Chicago. There must an active Jazz professional community or you will be wasting time and energy. The "Jazz is Dead" syndrome makes it more difficult in most areas other than large cities.
Marinero
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For me, living 30 minutes outside of Boston, MA, it's difficult to find open jazz/blues jams. Having world class music schools doesn't help either. From what I can tell, a lot of the open jams in the city are usually filled with students. There's a few places near me that book jazz, and jazz jams. But most of the players are teachers in Boston. It's great if you want to go see some awesome players, but, it makes it hard to break in. When I began playing again I was hoping to start studying with Charlie Banacos again. But I was to late. He was my connection to the jazz world. He would always say, when I was ready he would offer my name to others. It's real tough finding other players for jazz or blues.
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we're a short step to total obscurity and the birth of the "Bedroom Guitarist" in Jazz.
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"There's a few places near me that book jazz, and jazz jams. But most of the players are teachers in Boston. It's great if you want to go see some awesome players, but, it makes it hard to break in. " Strbender
Hi, S,
This is why the loss of lounges and clubs that featured live music every weekend has had such an impact on our music. It was a proving ground for musicians who were honing their chops and moving to higher levels in performance. . . a sort of minor league for musicians where players got real-life experience playing live every week.
Marinero
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Around here we have what was originally called The Jazzschool in Berkeley. Sign up for a combo class and you're on your way.
But, even before there was a Jazzschool, people found each other. Somebody would put an ad in a local paper (like the East Bay Express) or a flyer in a music store, or something, advertising for musicians interested in jamming.
Typically, there would be a very good response. There are a lot of people around (here at least) who want to play. I think what happens then is people at similar levels seek each other out and find additional opportunities to play.
I can trace a lot of what I do now back to answering an ad about 35 years ago. I met a bassist, who invited a drummer, who told me about the Jazzschool, where I studied for years and met (or met through them) most of the people I gig with (or play in rehearsal bands with) now. I also met people when I studied with Warren Nunes (who taught in a group session, more or less) and I met one local player on here who has been kind enough to invite me to sit in quite a few times. Thanks, Reg.
Around here, there's even a big band subculture. It turns out, there are a number of big bands with weekly rehearsals (the economics don't support gigs much) in a relatively small area. I play in two and sub in two more. I know of others. Personnel overlap. It's all word of mouth, but if you can find one player, you can get contact info for the leaders and you can offer to be a sub. There is always a need for subs. Be aware that you may be subbing for piano, and you may get piano charts.
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" Somebody would put an ad in a local paper (like the East Bay Express) or a flyer in a music store, or something, advertising for musicians interested in jamming." rpjazzguitar
Hi, RP,
The Chicago Sun-Times and the Chicago Tribune newspapers used to have a section for musicians seeking musicians. I got two gigs that way with working R@B groups, and my first experience with a Jazz/Rock big band. I don't know if that still exists today since that was during the early Miocene.
Marinero
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That's how James Hetfield and Lars Ulrich met. Originally Posted by rpjazzguitar
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It may seem strange, but the musician's union may be a good source for meeting pro players and getting into the local scene.
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There are dozens of musician listing sites... some of them require a membership payment for some features (like disclosing your contact information), but you can sneak your phone number into the section where you describe yourself. The last few projects I've joined came about where the band lost their guitarist, so they asked around, checked the musician listing sites, and made some calls. Originally Posted by Marinero
Finding the "right" people is one thing; the usual idea is that jazz musicians are "ready made sidemen" - the leader takes out his book and everyone performs tunes. If that is what you are looking for, that may be hard to find outside of the jazz jams and similar impromptu gatherings.
Since you have been solo 30 years, there is another approach you might consider. In meeting my trio I found musicians who were not from the jazz world, but very enthusiastic about it... their target venues being quiet wine bars and supper clubs. I think most jazz guitarists of the "ready made sidemen" approach would have run away. The bassist had been a rhythm guitarist and had continued to use a pick on the electric bass which would usually not sound right for jazz, but his technique has just a "perfect slight sloppiness" resulting in the sound and natural anomalies of well played upright jazz bass. The drummer was using brushes exclusively at that time, not yet able to play sticks softy enough for quiet venues.
I did not run away, but taught them old swing to bop period standards, Latin, Bossa, modal, and then engaged them in composing of original songs in those same styles. As jazz should be, we learn the most during performance; the songs are never played quite the same. Both the standards and more so the original songs increasingly diverge and re-compose themselves. We have a lot of fun. One night during our first set some people arrived and placed some microphones. During the break I asked the drummer what it was about. He said they were a little late finding the place, our audio was going to a radio station in Maine, broadcasting us live.
Since you are long used to playing solo, you might really like playing in a jazz trio because the guitar tends to carry the songs throughout (except for the occasional momentary drum or bass solo), so in a sense it is like playing something akin to chord melody much or most of the time, extended intros and endings, solos interspersed and pretty often (so a variety of approaches and styles is good). It may feel familiar to you.
Also since you are used to playing solo, I imagine you have a repertoire pretty well established. That might be a good foundation if you decided to go with less than full jazz musicians and teach/compose the songs as I did. You might like it; it feels to me like the old way it was done just learning by doing.
Good luck!
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You just have to meet musicians, and let them know you want to join/start a band. You can meet people through gigs (yours or others), jams, music shops or online.
If you gig solo, perhaps try to book a duo gig with a bass, horn or singer. That's a great incentive and way to find someone and get them interested.
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The Gear Page had some hilarious threads on this subject. You might meet some "interesting" people...... be prepared for that.
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You can at least try, as long as you accept that you'll likely have to do a fair amount of editing and weeding out, posting a shout out on your local Craigslist musicians community. Easy to know quickly via email that someone is not what you're looking for. It is free and anonymous.
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I've had a very difficult time finding players around my level (on instruments other than guitar)...it seems I either find people who say they play jazz but really don't, or players so good I have no business wasting their time.
And then of course, the last few years life has consistently gotten in the way of me playing with pretty much anybody. I've met more than a few cool guitar players here, but my heart really isn't in doing a multi guitar thing.
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I'm glad to see I'm not the only one to live that. Originally Posted by mr. beaumont
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Hi, J, Originally Posted by mr. beaumont
This was much easier when I was young and had TIME and the music scene was strong. Today, you have to try to connect with local PROS who you KNOW can handle the music and many don't want to share their gigs and take less money home at the end of the night. I don't blame them. That's why I've been happy doing solo for so long since I don't have time to waste and it's zero hassle. I can find some vocalists through some of my very limited(non-musical) contacts and I might try to explore that avenue but finding competent musicians is a very difficult and different thing. Again, the problem is limited opportunities to play quality music for pay. I doubt few would argue that reality.
Marinero
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Nobody's mentioned Craigslist yet, but they do have a section for musicians. I have run a couple of ads myself and did connect with one bassist I play with once a week with no intention of digging out, but it's a lot of fun. The other bassist who responded to my ad had just moved from New York and was a couple of levels above me in terms of proficiency, so that one didn't work out; plus, we just did not feel the groove in the same place.
About 12 years or so ago, I stumbled into the Jazz Workshop in Minneapolis. This was a jam/educational opportunity hosted within the park district. It began in the 1970s and continues even as I write this. The intent was to foster the development of jazz musicians in the Twin Cities and many local musicians got their feet wet in jazz through this. This is sort of a long-term project and probably more work than most anyone is looking for, but it has been a great thing locally. Players of all levels turn up.
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