Cats,
Happy (almost) week 3 of the semester! There are lots of great jazz events happening this month that I want to bring your attention to.
2/4 (This Wednesday!) Jazz Jam at Broadway Brewery ft. Alex Frank Quartet 7-10pm
House band opens up with a set from 7-8.
Open jazz jam from 8:15/8:30ish - 10pm.
Jazz Society will meet in the lobby of SMC at 6:30 to walk to Broadway Brewery together. You're more than welcome to go on your own, but there will be a group that goes together if you'd like to join us!
SJB- I know you all cannot make the first half of the jam, but I encourage you to stop by after SJB to jam or just listen and hang out.
I know that for a lot of us, this is our first community jam- and that's great! I've compiled a list of tips and tricks that may help you feel more comfortable.
Jazz Jam Tips and Tricks
BRING TUNES YOU KNOW! Playing one tune you are confident in is better than playing 7 tunes you aren't. For this jam, memorization is encouraged! Learn the head, listen to a ton of different versions, and be ready to give it your best.
Sing the melody of the tune in your head during solo sections if you're worried about getting lost.
Jazz jams are about communication! Introduce yourself to everyone on the stand, don't be afraid to ask or look for help if you get lost.
Be a good hang! Get to know the people you're playing with, and don't take a million choruses.
Listening is just as important as playing. If you aren't comfortable playing at this jam, I encourage you to come and familiarize yourself with the people and the setting.
Keep a list of tunes that are called that you aren't familiar with, and try and learn them for next time. This is a great way to quickly expand your repertoire.
Jams are a great learning setting, not necessarily a polished performance- don't be afraid to make mistakes and just go for it!
Alex Frank was generous enough to pass on a master list of tunes that are frequently called at jams. If you need inspiration for a tune, the lists are attached to this email!
2/14 MU Jazz Festival Final Concert at the Missouri Theater 7pm
Top placing highschool jazz band will perform at 7pm, followed by a performance by CJB.
We will need volunteers! Dr. Griffith will send an email with sign ups closer to the date. Keep an eye out!
2/15 Combo Clinic with Paolo Olivera SMC 10:30am
This is a clinic for the jazz combos, each combo will play a tune and receive feedback. This can be incredibly insightful even if you are not in a combo, so we encourage you to attend! We are lucky to have a wealth of guest instructors and clinicians that come through Mizzou, so make sure you take advantage of these opportunities!!
2/15 Sean Jones Quartet with We Always Swing - Whitmore Recital Hall 7pm
We Always Swing needs student volunteers! They will exchange free admission to this event for some light ushering. This is a tremendous help to the jazz series, and a great opportunity to hear some world class jazz. If you are interested in volunteering, please contact Dr griffith at griffithsv@missouri.edu
This event is right on campus, even if you are unable to volunteer, you should still go! We Always Swing is incredibly generous with student admission. The best way to learn jazz is by listening!!!
2/18 Jazz Jam at Broadway Brewery House band TBD 7-10pm
We will make a habit of going to this jam as a group. See you all in the lobby of SMC at 6:30!
2/27 Mizzou Jazz Society Jazz Jam SMC 385 7-9pm
Our first Jazz Society sponsored jam of the semester! We encourage you all to join us and play some great music together. This is a low pressure environment, and we welcome you no matter your skillset or your comfort level with jams. This is a great place to start if you're new to jams, and if you have no interest in playing that's fine too, we still encourage you to come listen and hang out!
I recognize this is a lot of information, keep your eyes peeled for further communication about some of these events. As always, if you have questions, please do not hesitate to reach out! This is going to be a great semester for jazz!
Have a great week, and I hope to see you all THIS WEDNESDAY at 6:30 in the SMC lobby for the Broadway Brewery Jam!
Katy Miller