Sunday afternoons are all about live jazz at the Greenville Jazz Collective Sunday Jazz Jam at Fireforge Crafted Beer downtown! The Jazz Jam is a great opportunity to enjoy a house band with a rotating roster of the upstate’s finest musicians in Fireforge’s great listening room and enjoy great food, drink, and award winning beers from the Fireforge Tap Room.
We are excited to partner with Fireforge on the Sunday Jazz Jam, and for the support of Fireforge as an official sponsor of the Greenville Jazz Collective!
It’s also an opportunity for local (and not so local) jazz musicians of all skill levels to sit in and play with the house band. The Jazz Jam was started 17 years ago in Greenville and has never been more popular than it is now at its awesome new home at Fireforge!
Fireforge is a locally owned craft brewery with brewed-on-site beers Their tap room offers a menu full of non-alcoholic drinks, wine, and their award winning beer! They offer an ever-changing food menu as well, developed by chef Alex Morgan (recently named Best Chef in the Greenville News’ Community’s Choice Awards).
Step over to their tap room to taste their wares and place your food and beverage orders; you’ll get a buzzer to let you know when to return to pick it up (beverages are provided when you pay).
The Jazz Jam takes place in the Fireforge “Great Hall”, which has tables and chairs for your dining and listening pleasure. Except for cold or inclement weather, the garage doors are kept open where you can sit and listen in the biergarten at picnic tables as well. Kids are welcome everywhere (monitored by their parents, of course). Pets are allowed, leashed, in the biergarten and in the “Great Hall”. Parking is easy and ample (especially on weekends)!
It’s truly a relaxing, friendly environment in downtown Greenville SC.
We are excited to partner with Fireforge on the Sunday Jazz Jam, and for the support of Fireforge as an official sponsor of the Greenville Jazz Collective!
It’s also an opportunity for local (and not so local) jazz musicians of all skill levels to sit in and play with the house band. The Jazz Jam was started 17 years ago in Greenville and has never been more popular than it is now at its awesome new home at Fireforge!
There is a house band of local professional musicians – some of the best players in the greater Greenville area – comprised of bass, drums, either guitar or keyboards, and usually saxophone.
The house band starts off with a couple tunes, and will invite different combinations of jammers to join them. You’ll hear popular tunes from the 30s through the 50s (known as the “great American songbook”), jazz standards by musicians like Duke Ellington and Miles Davis, latin jazz tunes from Brazil, the Carribean, and beyond, and more up-to-date funk-jazz.
As a jam session, they’ll typically play the melody, and then create (improvise) variations based upon the tune. So you’ll hear multiple musicians’ interpretations. Then they’ll return to play the melody again and complete the tune.
The “jammers” (musicians taking turns playing with the house band) will range from other professionals to skilled amateurs to even student musicians learning how to improvise jazz. The house band is especially skilled at matching the jammer, whether helping a newer player “sound like a million bucks” or going on a musical adventure with a seasoned professional.
To hear professional musicians in a relaxed atmosphere with great food and drink…and with no cover charge…probably makes this one of the best musical values in town!
– Of course, we encourage you to order and enjoy the great food and drink in the taproom…your purchases help make the support…and sponsorship of Greenville Jazz Collective…by Fireforge Brewery possible!
– And if you like what you hear, we also encourage you to drop a tip for the musicians into our tip jar at the front of the stage…we call him the fifth member of the band…“Phil-up the Tip Jar”
Okay, musicians, let’s talk about how the Jazz Jam works!
The “House Band”
There is a “house band” of local professionals, covering bass, drums, either piano or guitar, and usually saxophone. These 4 musicians set the tone for the jam and quickly adapt to the level of the various jammers to provide the appropriate type of support..
The house band will play 2 or 3 tunes to start. Although they often know one another, the four musicians might not have ever played together as a quartet, so this helps them find a groove.
How Jammers Get Called Onto the Stage
Near the stage, there will be a sign-up list on a clipboard. If you’d like to play (or sing) with the band, put your name, instrument and email address on the list when you get there. (This is an “open jam”, no invitation needed! Email address is so you can receive information about the Jazz Jam]
After the first couple tunes, the band will start calling players up to jam. For the most part, jammers will be called in order of their sign-up. However, both to provide relief for the house band musicians and additional backing opportunities for jammers, in addition to a horn player we might call one or more keys/guitar/bass/drum players up as well.
For more experienced jammers, if you hear a tune called (or played) that you know well and would like to join in on, come up by the stage and get a visual “OK” from the “Jam Master” (also known as the “MC”). But respect the tempo/key that the person calling the tune has selected! Also, this tends to happen more often later in the jam session rather than early in the jam.
What do you do when you get called up?
Have your instrument at hand and ready when your name is called. When you step on stage be prepared to tell the band 1) the tune you want to play, 2) the key, and 3) the tempo. If you’re going to read music, bring it up ready to go. We want to keep the music flowing!
You’re generally safe calling tunes/keys from the various “Real Book” volumes, but the band can often play other requested tunes as well (however, do not play “Stump the Band”…It’s not cool.). It’s smart to have a backup tune in mind as well, just in case your original choice doesn’t work well.
Either you or the drummer can count off the tune. If you’re comfortable doing so, use visual communication to decide solo order, whether the drummer wants to trade fours or take a solo, or neither, and when it’s time to go to the head. Listen for (or lead with) cues on how to take a song to its conclusion. (If you’re not comfortable with any of this, the MC can take care of it!)
After You’re Done
If the signup list is not long, the MC/Jam Master might ask if you have another tune you’d like to call (it’s fine not to have one). And it’s always good form to drop a thank you tip for the house band into the tip jar on the stage (the jar is affectionately named “Phil-up the Tip Jar”)
For some instruments, gear is a straightforward topic. For others, it requires a little planning. Here’s where we try to help you prepare, so that it’s easy to jump on stage when you’re called!
Singers
We’ll have a mic, and a stand if you need one for your music. Easy peasy.
Horn Players
Bring your instrument. We’ll have a stand for your Real Book, and a mic if you need one (for flautists, for example).. Nuf sed.
Keys
GJC usually provides a keyboard and amplification for jammers to use, but there are still weeks that we are unable to provide a keyboard due to challenging logistics.
Guitar
Guitar players should bring their instrument and a cable. Either a guitar amp or input to the PA is provided.
Bass
Bass players should bring their instruments and a cable. Amplification is provided. [If the house band bassist is using an upright, he/she may allow a jammer to use their bass…but please do not assume this will be the case].
Drums
Drums are provided, but bring your own sticks and brushes (generally, bringing your own drums and cymbals to swap out for your turn is not encouraged). Please remember that the drums provided are the personal property of one of the drummers, so please treat their gear respectfully (don’t hit the shells, pit the heads, retune the drums, etc.) and always ask before adjusting the stands.
Other musicians
We have had tap dancers bring their portable tap boards (as we don’t have one on stage). Similarly we don’t have a set of conga drums nor vibes, so we suggest congueros and vibists bring their own (check with the MC on where/when to set up your gear). Beyond that, we suggest you ask the MC/Jam Master for advice!
First off, we welcome you! Every person taking part in the jam remembers the first time they walked into a jam session…and they all want to make your experience great. So here are some suggestions if you’re interested in taking part in our jam session!
Feel free to come to listen first
If you’re thinking about jamming for your first time, sometimes it might make sense to just show up and listen first. Introduce yourself to the musicians setting up on stage before the jam begins…they love to meet new musicians who are thinking about trying to jam. Get a seat at a table (maybe with your family) and an age-appropriate drink, and sit back and listen. You’ll see how the jam works, hear some great music, and probably meet some other musicians!
Decide what you might want to play
Even the greatest players started with something simple to play! A blues is often a good choice for your jam, or a tune with a simple form that’s easy to hear and follow along by ear. Here’s a list of a few tunes, including links to the melodies and to play-along recordings that you can practice with at home. [Click link here]
Show up early and get on the list early
As the evening goes on, the energy level tends to get a bit higher. There might be a “battle of the saxes”, or five trumpets may try to “raise the rooftop”. Earlier in the jam is a bit more laid back, and many starting improvisers report they find it easier at first to play early in the jam.
Play with another horn (for horn players)
The saxophonist in the house band, or another horn player waiting to jam might be willing to join you on the tune you want to call…to help you get through the melody fine. Don’t be afraid to ask!
Get to know the other musicians
After you leave the stage, and go back to your table, you’ll probably find some of the other musicians stopping by your table to say hi. They’ll remember what it was like their first time, and no doubt offer words of encouragement. (They may also ask about your mouthpieces and stuff like that…it’s what musicians always do!)
Ask questions
You’ll find that most of the musicians are happy to try to answer your questions. Wondering what might be a good tune to learn next? Wondering who might be a good jazz improvisation teacher? Looking for a suggestion of a good recording to listen to? If someone doesn’t have an answer, they might point you to someone who does!
