[Dixielandjazz] open jam

[Phil Wilking]

I have been in your place.

Since you are the perpetrator of this, it falls to you to keep it organized.

>From sad experience, I can caution you to have someone (almost certainly
you) in charge of assembling bands ("sets") from the musicians who come.
This is a job guaranteed to irk some players, but you must do it or
everything will fall apart within 15 minutes. You will find that many
players will try to always play with the same people. A little of this may
be OK until you get a feel for what's going on, but they tend to form
"clubs" and ignore everyone else. You will need to break up these cliques or
they will drive away more players and regular customers than they attract by
always playing the same tunes in the same way and "freezing out" non-members
of their little clubs.

Encourage the trying out of less familiar tunes. You will hear loud whines
"Let's play something we all know!" Well, the only thing we all know is the
chorus of "The Saints" and (maybe) the chorus of "Bill Bailey." How many
times do you want to hear those? Early jazz, at least here in New Orleans,
was dance music. If you get known for playing danceable music, your audience
will grow, which will please the club owner. Encourage playing something
beside straight-up 4/4; how about a tango? One strain of "Saint Louis Blues"
plays well as a tango. How about a rumba or cha-cha, or (GASP!) a waltz?
Oktoberfest is coming, you might want to a polka or two in your repertoire
(and some waltz songs).

Keep the sets short, 30 minutes with 10 minutes to change bands works to
start. After you get everyone used to a "traffic pattern" (come on here, go
off there, do your visiting away from the stage), you can adjust the times.
Have sign-in sheets so you can make up bands in advance. Warn the bands that
"Grand Entrance" time comes out of their playing time, so get on - play -
and get off expeditiously.

Keep the bands small, one of each instrument. With rare exceptions, when you
get duplicate instruments, they get into a contest and start getting louder
and louder and very quickly no one listens to anyone else.

Do not, repeat NOT, use amplification for your front line instruments
(possible very rare exception: a good toned but low volume clarinet) OR the
drum. Brass and saxes do not need amplification indoors. If anyone complains
that the audience is not listening to him, tell him to play so well that
they shut up to hear him. If there is a vocalist, tell the instrumentalists
to play more softly rather than have a voice microphone cranked up. Keep
reminding everyone that this is music, not rock and roll. (Is my bias
showing?) If you can't hear the entire band, YOU are playing too loudly.

Experience will teach you much more.

It sounds like a lot of fun, I wish I could be there,
Phil Wilking - K5MZF
www.nolabanjo.com

Those who would exchange freedom for
security deserve neither freedom nor security.

-----Original Message----- 
From: dave orr

I have approached a local club owner about hosting a Trad. Jazz jam and he
is enthusiastic about the idea.

While I'm mostly inclined to "see what happens" I also think there should be
at least some structure,
and welcome your comments and ideas to help set up a workable format, as I
am far out of my depth here.