A live shot of the Producer Mondays jam session, at New York’s NuBlu.
Jamming is an essential part of American musical tradition, and should be part of yours. Here are some bass-centric tips.
Jam sessions have been an essential part of the history of American music, going back at least 120 years, to a time when “live in person” was the only way audiences could experience music. In those days, one might attend informal house parties, social clubs, or basement speakeasies, where liquor flowed plentifully as musicians provided entertainment. Sometimes, musicians would arrive with a preset show. But quite often, and especially in the case of jazz, the music would be completely spontaneous, and that was the whole point. There might be a house band, but what they’d play, how long they’d play for, how they’d play it, and who might show up and join would be completely unscripted. This gave birth to what many now regard as the beginnings of jazz.
The spontaneous, unknown element, where literally anything can—and very well might—happen, has made jam sessions the ideal space for developing musicians. Artists from Slam Stewart to MonoNeon cut their teeth, honed their skills, developed their sounds, and built their first audiences at jam sessions.
The terms “jam session” and “open mic” are not interchangeable, though many confuse the two. There are many differences, but one that stands out is the band’s role in the affair. Open mics are mostly about the singers, and sometimes about amateurs who simply wish to sing popular songs backed by a band. At jam sessions, musicians and singers—though there may be no singers at all—have equal status, and every participant needs to have honed their ability to respond spontaneously on the fly.
Many of my formative years were spent at jam sessions. First in London and later in Philly, NYC, or whatever other cities I visited while on tour. In those days, I practiced a lot and gained much from that controlled environment. But the things I learned at jam sessions like Philly’s Black Lily and Back2Basics, the annual jam sessions at North Sea Jazz Fest, and so many others, would be hard to learn anywhere else. After witnessing many jam-session trainwrecks, I learned that no session could withstand a bad bassist or drummer, let alone both at once!
"At jam sessions, musicians and singers—though there may be no singers at all—have equal status, and every participant needs to have honed their ability to respond spontaneously on the fly."
A much younger me made it my mission to always be the bassist who elevates what is happening onstage—and never the bassist who brings everything crashing down! The following advice, I believe, will help the jamming bassist avoid the latter. I’m going to assume that we’re all already practicing and getting our basic skills and sounds together, so no need to reiterate those areas.
Tune up. The bass you’re handed at a jam session probably won’t be in tune. Nobody cares about anything you play if you’re out of tune. Tune before you get on stage, before the song starts, or better still, learn to tune as you’re playing.
Avoid becoming a fixture. There are lots of people who also want to play. Do what you have to do and then get off stage.
Master the changes. Understanding and being able to play common forms and tunes will greatly improve your chances of dealing with whatever is thrown at you. A good place to start is the blues and rhythm changes. There are an inexhaustible number of songs that are based on these, so learning to play both in all 12 keys will go a long way.
Learn common jazz standards like “Donna Lee,” “Cherokee,” “Autumn Leaves,” “All the Things You Are,” etc. Even if your goal is not to play jazz standards, learning to play them is like an entire course in advanced harmony, melody, form, and the way that things move. Learn the common Motown classics. So many of them, especially songs by Stevie Wonder, are the blueprints for many songs you might encounter.
Actively listen while playing and figure out what everybody else is doing. A bassist with great ears will be able to learn any song by the second rotation of the form, and should be able to fake it well until then. I find that an excellent way to work on active listening at home is playing along with the radio, or in any situation where you don’t know the song and have to learn as you play.
So, where can one jam? If you’re in NYC, a great jam session to check out right now is Producer Mondays at NuBlu, which happens every Monday and is run by my good friend, keyboardist Ray Angry. If you’re not in NYC, ask some of the players on your local scene.
There are a lot more things I could mention, but one of the most important is attitude. Jam sessions are social events. Be courteous to everybody you encounter. Enjoy the atmosphere, and have a great time—without ruining anybody else’s!
Ted Nugent: Motor City Mayhem; Lenny Breau & Brad Terry: Live at the Maine Festival; Adam Rafferty Teaches How to Play the Music of Stevie Wonder; John Pizzarelli Exploring Jazz Guitar; Folk Blues for Fingerstyle Guitar; A Guitar Lesson with David Bromberg; Confessions of a Record Producer; Black Tooth Grin: The High Life, Good Times, and Tragic End of “Dimebag” Darrell Abbott; Battle of The Band Names: The Best and Worst Band Names Ever
Ted Nugent: Motor City Mayhem
The fact that most people know Nugent by his political and social views is a real shame, as evidenced by this impressive live performance. Love him or hate him, make no mistake: Ted Nugent is a very, very good guitarist, a fact that is, sadly, often upstaged by his political persona and pro-2nd Amendment ways. For those listeners who have never really given Nugent a chance because of his often polarizing qualities, Motor City Mayhem is a good place to start. The live performance of “Stranglehold” is worth the wait alone, accompanied with vocals by Nugent’s original rhythm guitarist, Derek St. Holmes. For those familiar with Nugent’s career, Motor City Mayhem is a must-buy. The flash, the spectacle, and most importantly the solid, fist-pumping rock ‘n’ roll that the man is known worldwide for is all here, and then some. For Nugent, it’s all part of the act. —JW
List $24.98
eaglerockent.com
Lenny Breau & Brad Terry: Live at the Maine Festival
Art of Life has released several CDs of Breau’s music and now a DVD. Live at the Maine Festival is far from perfect: the video quality is poor, as it was taken from old video. And it’s too short at thirty minutes and only two songs: “Emily” and “Autumn Leaves.” But the audio is good, and as far as I know this is the only video released (so far) that shows Breau playing his Dauphin nylon seven string. Sadly, we only see Breau in profile, so you can’t really cop his licks either. The good news is that the music is sublime. Breau is relaxed and playing beautifully. The sound of his guitar is rich and full, and Brad Terry is a damn fine clarinet player. The two of them have a nice dynamic together and are obviously winging it in classic jazz fashion. It’s a terrific performance, but at two songs it’s over way too quickly. The DVD includes two audio-only tracks and an interview with Brad Terry that includes some nice clips of him playing. Flawed as it is, this is a must have DVD for any fan of great guitar (and clarinet) playing. —PS
List $11.99
artofliferecords.com
Adam Rafferty Teaches How to Play the Music of Stevie Wonder
List $34.97
adamrafferty.com
Exploring Jazz Guitar
John is an engaging guy; he is excited about this music and it shows. His tone is lovely, woody and rich on his signature Moll 7-string. He starts by showing you the gear he uses, which is always fun for us PG folks. Then he moves through various comping styles and tells you not just what to play, but gives some pointers on using the material tastefully. He covers reharmonizing the blues in one chapter, and the DVD is worth getting just for that. Both Pizzarellis play great rhythm guitar, and John gives you a lot of information here. There is also a nice chapter on single line playing. This is a must have DVD for any student of jazz guitar. —PS
List $29.99
halleonard.com
Folk Blues for Fingerstyle Guitar with Stefan Grossman and A Guitar Lesson with David Bromberg
Grossman is a wonderfully supportive and reassuring presence throughout the lessons, which start with some basic folk blues and progress fairly quickly to more advanced left- and righthand chops. I love the fact the Grossman courses contain “homework”—audio tracks of these traditional blues songs from recordings made in the ‘20s and ‘30s that Grossman urges the student to spend some time with before attempting to play. He also gives a little historical perspective on the tune, and talks about some of the additional recordings, to give you a real sense of connection to a tune before he plays a note of it. Disc One covers universal playing ideas like economy of movement, chord substitutions and additional voicings, damping and muting, slides, bends, and hammer-ons/ pull-offs, in addition to teaching these blues arrangements step-by-step with instruction, and slowed down in split screen so you can play along. Disc Two covers altered tunings including Drop-D, DADGAD, Open D and Open C, right-hand rolls and double-stopping, and gives helpful tricks and ideas for expanding your playing and arranging your own tunes. Notation and tab for each of the tunes are available in an included booklet and as PDFs on the disc.
Bromberg’s lesson covers some of his most popular arrangements, from traditional folk blues to early folk rock. He covers concepts like parallel and contrary motion between bass lines and melodies, the intricacies of Rev. Gary Davis-style right-hand, single-finger rolls, use of diminished chords in traditional blues and the challenge of playing under a talking blues that doesn’t necessarily follow the groove your hands are laying down. This is not easy, beginner stuff. It’s tough and meaty, and Bromberg does a great job slowing everything down and showing you many possible variations of a lot of licks. He also tells you if he got a lick from somebody else, like the Rev. Gary, so you can do some additional listening. The format is the same as the Grossman discs, with separate audio tracks of the tunes, step-by-step instruction and slow split-screen with the entire tune. Audio and video quality on both discs is top notch. Notation and tab are once again available in the included booklet and as PDFs on the disc.
Grossman and Bromberg’s laid-back attitudes and relaxed mastery make the lessons engaging, and the format makes them immediately applicable to the fretboard. —GDP
List $39.95 – Stefan Grossman DVD
List $29.95 – David Bromberg DVD
guitarvideos.com
Books
Confessions of a Record Producer: 10th Anniversary Edition, Revised and Updated
By looking at a model first recording contract of a fictitious artist from three angles—the artist,the producer and the label—he gives us a very clear picture of the way this game is played, who the various players are, what everybody’s real role is, how they’re all trying to rip everybody else off—and why the artist is usually playing to lose from the start. He shows us the math, too. How many albums have to sell before the artist stops hemorrhaging money and breaks even? How many years will an aspiring engineer/producer have to work as an unpaid intern until they can catch a break and start making a subsistence living, and how long until they can actually start producing anything at all? What percentage of new artists in one year is a label really willing to get behind, and how many will end up cutting tracks that will never, ever see the light of day? And just how do digital downloads impact artist royalties?
Perhaps most importantly, Avalon tells us how artists can protect themselves from the worst of it, what labels will slip into contracts hoping the artist won’t understand or notice, and what smart artists may be able to negotiate away. If you have any aspirations of playing the major-label game, this book should be on your bookshelf. —GDP
List $24.99
backbeatbooks.com
Black Tooth Grin: The High Life, Good Times, and Tragic End of “Dimebag” Darrell Abbott
While author Zac Crain does include such stories from bundles of sources, the book’s heart lies in a message that doesn’t glorify Abbott’s well-known antics, but instead humanizes the prolific partier and shredder. When stripped to his core, he was just a music fan who loved to play his guitar.
Crain uses a loose chronological timeline to direct the narrative about Abbott’s beginnings to his time on top of the metal world in the mid ‘90s and his eventual murder. After forming Pantera in ‘81 and spending years on the Texas club circuit—Abbott’s parents often had to be attendance just to get Darrell inside—the planets aligned for Pantera and their fifth studio release, Cowboys From Hell, as it launched them into the metal spotlight. Building off this success well into the ‘90s, Pantera continued to dominate metal playlists, but one thing remained unchanged: Abbott’s status as fan first, rock star second. Whether it meant signing autographs for hours, doing free guitar clinics with fans or waiting in line with the general public at guitar stores, he still kept the same demeanor as the kid who first played air guitar to KISS albums.
Black Tooth Grin provides a well-rounded, introspective look into Abbott’s world as music fan, guitarist, party ambassador and mama’s boy—Abbott never lived farther than 10 minutes from his mother. But as his celebrated story unfolds, the fact that Abbott was nothing more than a lucky fan becomes more evident. A quote from original Pantera lead-singer Terry Glaze says it all, “if you would have told Darrell that, when you die, Van Halen is going to put the guitar from Van Halen II in your casket, Darrell would have said, ‘Kill me now.’” And that’s something nearly every fan can agree with. —CK
List $15.95
dacapopress.com
Battle of The Band Names: The Best and Worst Band Names Ever (and All the Brilliant, Colorful, Stupid Ones in Between)
In Battle of the Band Names, author Bart Bull, former editor of Spin and DETAILS, compiles a huge list of band names in 35 wacky chapters to show what happens when language, music, pop culture and egotism converge. The chapters are broken down categories such as musical genre, mythical creatures, metallurgy, the color pink, tribute bands and Japan-based names. Not only does Bull do a great job adding snarky commentary at the beginning of each chapter to set the stage, but the book is colorfully designed and laid out in a way that’s as entertaining for the eyes as the text is for the temporal lobe.
While Bull covers the known bands and genres over the past 50 years, the real treat of this tongue-in-cheek book is in the chapters dedicated to the not-so-familiar band names like Bald Guys in Bow Ties. He guides you along the path of musical history that’s evenly sprinkled with band names from the outrageous and idiotic to the thoughtful and brilliant. So next time you’re brainstorming for names, check Bull’s book so you know that names like Papaya Paranoia or Kiiiiiii have already been tried. —CK
List $15.95
abramsbooks.com