How the jam will work for participants
When you arrive, talk to me (Terry) and I will put your name on the list (of people
to play). Tell me two to four tunes that you would like to play. Then, when I
call your name, come up to the "stage", with your instrument, tell the band the
tune, the key, and feel (medium swing, bossa nova, etc.), then give them a moment
to get ready. You might want to mention how you want to end the song (e.g., play
bars 29 and 30 three times, then hold the last chord). When the band is ready,
count in the tune. Normally, you would play the melody and then take the first
chorus or two as a solo. Then the piano player will probably take a chorus, and so on.
Which tunes to choose
Remember that the house band is composed of mere mortals so they won't know every tune
in existence and you probably should avoid counting off tunes at "break-neck" speed
(i.e., 200 beats per minute or faster for most tunes). Choosing tunes from "The
Realbook (5th or 6th edition)" is a good way to go, and in the Realbook key. We will
have iPads on hand so many other tunes are also possible. If you call a tune in a
key other than the Realbook key, it's probably a good idea to provide a chord chart
(See below for example) or a lead sheet for the piano player and bass player.
Example of a Chord Chart
Example of a Lead Sheet
Last updated: June 10, 2019