Jammin' - Music Comes Alive

When you play with a group of musicians, say, a band or an orchestra, you normally rehearse the material you're working on together. It could be the set of songs that you perform regularly, refining over time, or material for an upcoming concert. This can be fun and it can also be a lot of work--or even become routine.

Then, there's the jam session. Somebody wants to play something, calls out the chords, and you're on your way. From the bass player's perspective, it's great because, along with the drummer, you're carrying the music along, and you have to be on your toes for changes. It's structured, but you can improvise as you go.

Last night I had the chance to play with some people I know and have worked with before. After a Halloween meal, we plugged in, tuned up and were on our way. It's a good thing they invented the blues because if you know the key you can step in pretty easily, and that's what I did. The Hayward Odd Fellows Hall rang out with guitars, piano, drums and vocals, and the fun began.

As we put away our instruments later, I knew a good time was had by all--and I was happy I was able to play this way now. It's exhilarating. (Thanks, Kevin, for putting it together).