I have a few issues with typical jazz jams:

• First of all, I have a principle that I should never have to spend more time travelling somewhere than I do actually playing there. This rules out most jams where at best you might get to sit in on a few tunes.
• When jams are done at commercial venues no one gets paid – which provides the venue with free live entertainment at the expense of working musicians who are trying to make a living.
• I’m tired of someone suggesting a tune from the Real Book, and everyone else having a different version of the book, or no chart at all.
• Every tune is performed in “jam format”: play the head in, everyone takes a solo, trade 4’s with the drummer, play the head out – so boring (this is why a lot of people don’t like jazz). How about a little thought to the arrangement: come up with an interesting intro or outro; change up the tempo or rhythm (play a ballad as bossa, make a swing funky, play a straight tune in an odd time signature, etc.).
• I don’t have a lot of patience for people who would rather talk than play. It leads to a lot of tedium and takes away from the joy of playing.

So the idea behind JazzLab is to stay focused on the music, provide enough structure to get everyone on the same page initially, and keep everyone involved and playing. Depending on how many people show up, it may be possible to break up into separate groups so no one is left sitting for very long. And charts for selected songs will be made available beforehand, so there won’t be a lot of chaos at the outset trying to decide what to play.

Having said that, the idea here is really freedom and creativity. There won’t be any “chart police” going around making sure people are playing what they’re supposed to. If someone has an idea and the others in their group are amenable, go for it. The charts provided are just there to get things going.

I do plan to provide a few things, like a drum kit, a keyboard and amp, and a small PA. Hopefully others may add to that, especially if we want to have multiple groups active at the same time.

The concept is evolving. It’s been suggested that it could lead to some actual performances for the public, which would be a great addition. It may also be possible to have different levels of skill in different groups, so younger or less experienced players wouldn’t be intimidated by “the pro’s”.

Hopefully, JazzLab will become a permanent fixture of the local jazz scene and encourage more interest in it.

PS: I already have a list of over 50 musicians that I will be contacting to gauge their interest in JazzLab. The venue cannot accommodate all of these people at once, attendance at any session will be by invitation only. I will try to be fair in giving everyone who is interested a chance to participate.