One of the great and sometimes challenging things about a jam is how you can take a two and a half minute song and turn it into a more than nine minute song. I know about this. We did it. The first time I sang ‘I’d Rather Go Blind’. Since then, I’ve tried to be more aware of how long I let a song go. For the blues jam the format is that each band gets to do three songs. At one time, many years ago, the format was three songs or fifteen minutes. So I try to keep things a little under control and remember that. It’s not an easy thing to do.
When you’re the one leading the song you need to hand off the lead parts to people and count on them to be paying attention so they know it’s their turn. You also need to count on them to keep to one segment. In our case, for the most part, that means one twelve bar round. That lets everyone get a chance, or two, without the song going on for forever. Or the set going on for forever.
One of the things that makes it a little difficult for me is being short. I don’t mind being short, that’s not it at all. It’s that on a small stage where there is not a lot of room to move around, if you’ve got a lot of people it can be tough to make sure everyone can see your queues. You have to try to not bump into the bass player or the drums as you try to get the attention of the guitar player, or keyboard player or whomever, so they know to take their lead part. Or, that you are ready to sing the next verse and they need to stop playing lead. Or, for that matter, that you are ending the song. It helps if everyone is paying attention to each other and to the leader.
Another challenge is how to deal with it if someone walks on another player’s lead or vocal part. As a rhythm player, I don’t think there have been many times I’ve walked on someone’s vocal or lead. I may have as a singer. But I try not to. I have had a chance to see where other musicians have walked on someone else’s lead or vocal. I think it happens because they aren’t paying attention. I know that is part of what happens when I’m playing with someone who either hasn’t taken their lead until half way through the twelve bars so they take another twelve, or someone who gets so wrapped up in what they are doing they are only looking at their instrument and not what’s going on around them. I’m just as guilty when I play lead. And sometimes when I sing. I try not to be. I try to keep an eye or an ear on what’s happening. And to be aware of where I’m at in the segment and what’s happening on stage around me. I’m not always successful. I failed for sure at one point just this weekend.
So while I know, I, do these things, I sometimes wonder if others know they do them. There are a few, that I don’t think I have ever seen them drop their attention and go completely into what they are doing. I suppose it’s the nature of what they play and the
role or part they know they fill. Or it could just be experience. And then there are others. Sometimes they are spot on, and sometimes they are off in their own world. Occasionally, their world is really sounding great and you want to just be there with them so you don’t think anything of it. Sometimes, it may sound good but you don’t know why they couldn’t have figured out how to say it in 140 notes instead of 280.
The way to make that all work is to pay attention. Listen to the people playing with you. Listen to the vocal. Hear the chord changes. Know where you are at in the progression so you can wrap it up at the right point and let the next person have their turn. If you play fills, you really have to pay attention. Especially on that first verse. That will usually give you the idea of the vocal phrasing so you know about where and how long you have for your fills. And then you don’t walk on the vocal. A good way to do this is to watch each other. Look up from your instrument periodically. If you’re too nervous to look at the crowd then just look at the people you’re playing with and connect with them. It’s really fun to watch when a couple of musicians connect and really play off of each other on stage. The dueling guitar scenario comes to mind.
A really good example, of how paying attention to each other on stage is important and works great; I came across a YouTube from The Road to Austin show. It was Bonnie Raitt and Ruthie Foster singing ‘Angel From Montgomery’, apparently, without a rehearsal. It sounds fabulous. And it flows really nicely. Have a watch. And watch how they pay attention to each other on stage. Another good example is Jimmy Vaughn as a guest of Eric Clapton playing ‘Before You Accuse Me’. It’s a work of art to watch Clapton hand out leads to different members of the band and they don’t miss a beat because, they are paying attention. They know where they are in the song. If they were looking down or away, at that point when the turn around hits, they are keeping and eye on the person leading the song.
It’s not easy. I’m not saying it is. Being aware of your surroundings is a hard thing, especially in this day and age when we are all so inclined to block out the rest of the world and become one with our phones. We are used to just playing by ourselves and getting lost in that. It doesn’t help that getting up to play, in front of a group of people, strangers or other wise, can be daunting and terrifying. Most of the time you’re just thinking, I don’t want to screw up. Or please let me get through this without screwing up. It’s going to happen. But if you are connecting with the other people you’re playing with, and they with you, then a screw up can become a happy accident or get picked up and covered up with few even noticing.
Enjoy the pictures of people paying attention.