Jammers and Strutters Information

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This secton contains information regarding jamming and strutting with the South Bay Traditional Jazz Society. Capable musicians who would like to jam with a group of other like-minded individuals are encouraged to check out various opportunities our club has to offer. And you who like to strut your stuff, get out that parasol and dance along to the music!

Email the jamset director now!!

jamset-director@southbaytrad.org

The Club holds concert & dance sessions almost every month, on the 4th Sunday, at the Elk's Lodge in Sunnyvale, California. Three of the sets on the main stage are of the guest band, while the other two sets are made up of Jammers. In addition, other jamming opportunities include parades and gigs with other societies and venues. Please use the selections below to learn about the different aspects of jammin' with our club. Then grab your axe and come on out and join us!

Jammmer's & Strutter's News

We don't wish to leave any willing musicians out of the jam sets, so please call ahead to Jim Harget at 408-483-7220 and introduce yourself to the Jam Set Director upon arrival so he knows you're here. We do practice in the back room beginning at 12:30. We go over any difficult numbers and plan solo sequences. It's a run-through.

— An organizational note — Not all the jammers are aware that SBTJS has their own song books for the jams. These are the books that the jammers need to use when playing. We have them in Concert-C and Bb.

The quality of the jam sets has increased tremendously with consistent leadership along with sheet music for each instrument. Our focus is to present a good show for the AUDIENCE and have fun at the same time.

We participate in parades during the year. If you love a parade, please call Jim Harget at 408-483-7220. He will put your name on the list of potential participants. We have a trailer with a canopy to keep the sun and/or rain off. A great time is had by all who participate. We've won some awards for our efforts.

Strutting is a welcome addition to the parades. Those of you wanting to strut, please contact  George Trollman at 408-234-7117. Dressing up is fun to do. There is such wonderful energy at the parades. 

Our next parade is Los Altos Pet Parade.  If you want to participate, let Jim Harget know you want to play or George Trollman if you want to strut.

The San Jose Holiday Parade was a cold one for us.  We stepped off very early.  We warmed up the onlookers and got them really movin'.

George Trollman has asked for help with the trailer - maintenance, repairs, - driving the truck if he is uable and specifically any setting up of the trailer and equipment, chairs etc. How about some of you younger participants stepping forward. Most of you do help on parade day at the parade lineup - which is greatly appreciated. Let's give George a helping hand whenever possible. Thanks

Jammset Report

Who Were Those Masked Jammers?

On behalf of SBTJS, your Jam Set Director wishes to thank the above jammers for participating in the March jam sessions at the ELK's Lodge.

My sincere thanks. I hope to see you all again in January.

Note: this list is our best recollection, if your memory is better, email the webmaster & I will fix it.

Jamming Tips

1. Counting Off a Tune

Please be sure to learn the correct way to count off before attempting to count off tunes. Specifically, for 4/4 tunes, you must snap your fingers on the 2 and 4 when you count off, NOT the 1 and 3. This may seem like a minor difference, but in reality, it is not minor at all. It may be subtle, but not minor. I would call it a subtle, yet crucial difference. Snapping on the right beat when you count off is crucial for setting up the swing feeling.

Furthermore, snapping the 1 and 3 can really throw off the rhythm section at the start of a tune. When the start of a tune is shady, often the rest of the tune will suffer (as I'm sure we all know from experience). Some people who count off tunes at the jazz jams sometimes snap the 1 and 3. If you aren't confident and comfortable with counting off tunes, please defer the count off to someone in the house trio. Note: for tunes in 3/4, I suggest either snapping on the 2 only or the 2 and 3 for the count off.

2. Lead Solos

It appears that most of the Dixieland Jazz Camps are teaching horn and reed players to keep their solos simple. This is good advice. Even famous jazzmen, such as Al Hirt, Louis Armstrong and Pete Fountain use a lot of whole, half and quarter notes as the basis of their solo work. If you get too fancy and technical with the notes you choose to play, then the chance that you will blow a few "klinkers" is increased and a good solo becomes "chopped liver" in the blink of an eye.

3. Band-In-A-Box Files

Lots of our members use Band in a Box (computer program of PG Music) to practice with or to print charts. Why do the labor of entering melodies and chords when someone has already done it? BAND IN A BOX files, thousands of Jazz Standards are available free from: BIABfsg.  You have to go thru some bother of registering yourself, but the rewards are great.

         4.  Improvisation

Improvisation is the skill of a good and proficient (not necessarily highly schooled) musician. The suggestion was given recently to stick to the melody, even going so far as to suggest that the improviser only wants to impress other band members who, in reality, do not care. Wow! What a statement. I disagree. I believe that band members, as well as many of the listeners in the audience, care and know quite well the skill level of the musicians in any band and appreciate a well-executed improvisation, even a less well executed one.

Improvisation has always been what it is all about in jazz. Even "arrangements" which in many, if not all cases, have a strong "written" element of improvisation embedded in them. Listen to any good jazz recording, old or recent. What do you hear? Improvising, and lots of it. In classical music, hundreds of years ago, they called it "variations." The great violinist Paganini was famous for playing hundreds of them on one theme. I think an improvising musician deserves applause or, while trying to become expert, deserves support as in any art expression.

         5.  Vocal Accompaniment

One hears that vocalists do not like background accompaniment. Well, that is one opinion. The truth is that most vocalist appreciate "background support" as long as you stay off the melody. They need background in order to bridge the long notes at the end of one phrase to the next. However, I would suggest that the instruments play softly, tastefully, and in good harmony.

Updated 4/5/09