How was your open mic or jam night last night?

[Geek99]

My OM night was brilliant. 

i had been chatting to two singers (sisters) who are both bass curious. Neither had sung with a band before, always tapes. So we made it happen.
 

Then we did their mum as well.

 

Yes, she wanted a band-backing experience too. She did Breakfast at Tiffany’s with someone playing double bass very well. 

 

I got called up to play The Chain all the way through, then one sister joined in with the hostess, a professional singer, for Dreams (me on bass) and the other sister with hostess for sweet home Alabama (me on bass predictably) .
 

One clearly has great taste as she admired my sire v7/5 in metallic CAR 

Edited November 27 by Geek99

[tauzero]

Busy night for me - last time, a guitarist I've played with before at a different open mic turned up with a drummer friend who hadn't played live for years and we did about half a dozen songs. The drummer turned up again this evening and sat in with one of the regulars while I played bass. I'd made notes, having been slightly forewarned, but everything was two semitones down, fortunately not complicated songs (Stick season, Shotgun, Somewhere under the sun). Then played with another regular who always does the same three songs (a blues in E, Folsom Prison blues, Knocking on heaven's door), and then got recruited by another duo of drums and guitar/vox to play Route 66, Amarillo (hadn't played that for about 20 years), and Ventura Highway (new one on me). And a guitarist I've played with a few times before asked me to have a look at a couple of songs for some future occasion.

[knirirr]

Last night's jazz session at The Chequers in Chipping Norton was a bit cramped as they were getting large dinner bookings already. We managed to squeeze in, though. Once again the EUB was very useful; easier to find somewhere to stand for playing and I can lean it up against a wall when one of the bass guitarists who turn up wants to sit in. When they do I get a chance to inflict my jazz guitar skills (I use the term 'skill' loosely) on the audience. Though we get bassists and keyboardists turning up there are no other drummers so our regular chap has to work all night. 

 

[TrevorR]

It’s been a bit of a jam-tastic week… Last Thursday was the third Country & Roots Jam near me. After the last one, a couple of guys asked if I fancied pulling together a few songs for this Jam. Nice to be making some local connections as I’ve been out of the local scene for years. We ended up playing the Luke Combs of Fast Car (which is nigh on  identical to the original!), a tune called Jersey Giant and a version of Justin Timberlake’s Mirrors in a country style (thte singer had found an AI version on YouTube and we based it on that). Lots of fun.

 

I also played on a couple of other tunes too - Me & Bobby McGhee and another one I can’t recall now.  Here’s a couple of vids…

 

 

And last night was the last Monday Night Jam of the year over in Woking , so it took on a decidedly Christmassy feel, of course. I got roped in to play on a couple of tunes… Driving Home For Christmas and Fairytale Of NewYork which was good fun, if a wee bit ropey here and there.

 

However, I’d colluded with a few chums to sing a “Christmassy” version of a Black Sabbath tune - “War Pigs (In Blankets)”, if you like!).   I heard it when I downloaded The Barenaked Ladies’ Christmas Album last year and decided that I HAD to do it at this year’s Christmas Jam. So a festive version of  “War Pigs” . See what you think (I’m no lead vocalist…)

 

Edited Tuesday at 18:39 by TrevorR

[Stub Mandrel]

Deck the Halls with boughs of Holly fits War Pigs perfectly...

[nekomatic]

A few weeks back we happened into a pub in Didsbury, not that far from us, and found it full of flyers for a forthcoming Jazz Jam - which isn't something you see that often. So on the day of the Jazz Jam I turned up and found an excellent young guitar-led trio going by the name of Fisherman Dice, and… no jammers except me! But they were dead friendly and let me sit in for three tunes, and mentioned that they run a bi-weekly jam over in Chorlton, of which I got the impression that it was well attended, and last night I went along to that and found the same bassist and drummer but a different guitarist and… no jammers except me. But they were dead friendly and let me sit in for three tunes   

 

Anyway the Didsbury one was a new venture by the manager of the pub, which changed hands not long ago, and despite the low attendance he said he was keen to repeat it, and I've let the Fisherman Dice guys know that if he does and they can bring a keyboard next time (which the Didsbury venue has space for but the Chorlton one absolutely doesn't) then I can pretty much guarantee a couple of pianists who go to the other jam I've been going to, and possibly some soloists too. So it would be nice if that could become a thing. But my ulterior motive of finding a drummer who'd be interested in getting together with one of the aforementioned pianists to do some occasional trio stuff is no further forward…