The San Diego Jazz Collective is a group of musicians who get together to share musical knowledge and ideas in a jazz improvisational setting. Our mutual goal is to inspire and be inspired by others, and to take our musicality to the next level. Of course, we to have fun doing it! The spaces we play in are welcoming and affirming of all - everyone with a love of music is welcome.
The Meetup has proven to be a great way to meet fellow musicians. If you have access to a space to host a jam - even a small group - we encourage you to schedule one on the homepage. If you call the jam, you can set parameters such as the number of attendees, instrumentation, experience/skill level, etc.. The site is here for your use. You also can advertise your gigs, recitals, jam sessions, etc.
Please read these basic guidelines:
\- This is a group for people who play music \(although some jams welcome listeners too\!\)\. It's recommended that you know how to read or play along jazz charts and have a good facility on your instrument\. Some members are skilled players in other genres who are starting to learn to play jazz on their instrument\.
We strongly recommended that all members work on familiarizing themselves with standard jazz repertoire, in order to play melodies, chords, keep time, and improvise through the changes. There are lots of lists of standards out there. Tunes are generally played in Real Book keys. Here's a list of standards our group has played in the past - plus some others (though sessions won't be limited to these):
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1NwTnHtbKmkuIe6mSgj24h1cY3...
Also, here is an excellent article on jazz jam session etiquette:
https://www.sfjazz.org/onthecorner/jazz-jam-etiquette-mast...
If the jam is at a commercial venue, please consider purchasing some food and/or beverages to support the venues that support us. Also please contribute to a tip jar if there is a house band, which will help defray Meetup fees, and (modestly) reward house band and organizers who are donating their time and expertise to make events go smoothly.
Jams, especially those at commercial venues, will typically have a volunteer house rhythm section (often keys and/or guitar, bass and drums). These are generally more experienced group members or other local musicians. The house keyboardist and drummer will generally bring their own instrument and allow others to play them - please be respectful of their instruments. Permission to play the members' instrument will be at the discretion of its owner.
Guitarists, bassists, and all others MUST bring their own electric instrument . The house generally provides a bass amp and a guitar amp. Please do not bring your own amp, as floor space is often limited. If a particular jam needs these amps, we will announce that. Often there will be a microphone, mike stand, and PA system available for singers, but don't assume - check the details of the announcement, and when in doubt, bring your own mike.
Due to time constraints, we may limit the number of spots per instrument (including vocalists). Larger gigs with many attendees will have a sign-up sheet. We endeavor to ensure that everyone who signs up will be called to play or sing on at least one tune, but this isn't guaranteed, especially if time is limited - in such situations we will try to follow a first-come-first-served principle as much as possible
Also, when you play, please limit your solos to a reasonable number of chorses, depending on the style and tempo of the tune, and time constraints and number of attendees.
RSVP's "Yes" means you plan to attend a serssion - especially for smaller Meetups, that will give others a better idea of who to expect, and on what instrument.
Most importantly, let's have fun and learn!
