“Big Jazz Jam at the Albemarle” part of the Albemarle Concert Series.
How to Jam with a house band.
We will have a workshop at the Albemarle Big Jazz Jam (led by Rob Law and
Mike Horne) to look at this. The scenario is that you want to sing or play a
tune or two at a jazz club backed by the house band. You may have never met them
before and you have not rehearsed together. You have to quickly negotiate with
the band to explain what you are trying to achieve before the audience gets
bored and then start. Once you have started there is no stopping and it may not
be quite as you expected. Scary yes! Exhilarating certainly! Huge fun! And then
it is over, seemingly in a flash.
So here are some things to think about before you get up to jam –
What am I going to sing or play?
What do I need to bring with me?
What do I need to discuss or negotiate with the band?
How do we start?
Who is going to take a solo?
How do we stop?