Back before my heart attack a singer I work with sometimes asked me and two friends to be the house band at a singer jam.  She would host, would bring in a special guest every week, and we would back them up.  Sounded like a chance to play with some good jazz singers, although the opportunities for instrumental satisfaction would be pretty few.

Unfortunately, I got sick the week before we were to start, so I missed the first two months.

While I was recovering, she called me to say that the gig was still mine as soon as I felt ready to play, and in early December I started playing every Tuesday.

In the meantime, the original singer, who also hosted an instrumental jam on Monday nights at the same club, bowed out  Both jams were slumping, with attendance at the instrumental jam almost nonexistent, and the Tuesday singer sessions failing, too, despite having good singers galore.

The club hired two other singers to alternate Tuesdays starting when I came back, and they've proven very adept at running the jam, giving everyone who wants to sing an opportunity to do so.  Also, they're bringing in very good guest singers, and giving them an opportunity to shine, too.

It's been great for the band.  The pianist and I have been there every week, with alternating bassists due to schedule conflicts, but we have a consistently good band that can play almost any style called for, and the singers like us.  I've been having more fun than expected, and as an opportunity for networking it almost can't be beat.

Now it gets better.  The club decided to open the singer jam up to instrumentalists as well, and the last two weeks we've been blessed with some of the best jazz players in town.  Last night one of the singers had a trumpet/tenor sax section in addition to the trio as she sang a funked up version of "Summertime," and it was cooking.  Last week we even played an extra set (and got paid for it!) because so many people wanted to play.

Best of all, so far there haven't been any drummers at the jam, so I've gotten to play with some terrific musicians.  I know that will change as word gets out again, but for now I'm happy as a pig in s**t.

Of course, if the audience and musicians don't show up it'll come to an end pretty quickly, but we're all doing whatever we can to get attendance up, and I'm just going to enjoy it as long as I can, and will keep a supply of business cards with me at all times.

i love vicariously thru mr. paul's gigging schedule...  

Hey Paul!