While the seminal group Grateful Dead were originally categorized as psychedelic rock, by the 1990s the term “jam band” was used for groups playing a variety of genres, including those outside of rock such as funk, progressive bluegrass, and jazz fusion.

Stylistic origins: Folk, Rock, Blues, Jazz, Bluegrass, Country

Virtually, all American forms of popular music are fair game for a jam band.

Cultural origins: United States 1960s with The Grateful Dead

Continuing into the 1990s and beyond with bands like Phish, Umphrey’s McGee, Bela Fleck, Modeski, Martin and Wood among many others. Each group has unique inflections, stylistic influences and performing styles that help to create a loyal fan base, merchandise and an identifiable brand.

Instrumentation: Guitar, Bass, Drums, Keyboards – Guitar Dominant

Characteristics of Jam Bands:

1. Jam bands may be vocal , instrumental or a combination of both. The “jam” part is instrumental and improvisational. It is typically dominated by guitar.

2. Taping, collecting and trading was pioneered by the Grateful Dead. This culture contributed to the popularity of the Dead and led the way for the jam bands of the future. This was so encouraged that direct feeds from the sound board were provided for “tapers” who wanted to archive the shows.

3. Medleys, that is the stringing of songs together as a continuous song was typical.

4. Song Quotation is the use of a small section of a famous song in the beginning, middle or end of another song.

5. Theme – Extended Improvisation – Theme is not only the format of jam bands but as I’ll point out, characteristic of all types of musical styles and contemporary performing groups.

6. Jam bands can exhibit one particular style or a fusion of different styles. This explains in part why there is such diversity among jam bands.

Each characteristic of a jam band is shared with a jazz group like my own. Jazz itself along with Blues is the original “jam band” music. An early example was jazz saxophonist Coleman Hawkins and his “All Star Jam Band”. In a very real way, the word “jam” is a synonym for extended improvisational jazz.

What often differentiates one “jam band” style from another is the sophistication of the chord progressions, melodies and improvisational excursions used in live shows. Virtuosity of soloists is typical though not essential.

Jazz, particularly guitar jazz, mirrors the approach of the jam band. Long extended improvisation is the rule not the exception. Perhaps the connection between jazz and jam bands has been blurred because so much of traditional jazz has been dominated by horns and piano.

I’m constantly discussing about my own belief in the jazz guitar as a market in and of itself. It’s not necessarily a subset of jazz. The guitar has its own market and legion of followers.

I hope that jam band followers will take a listen to guitar jazz a little closer then they would in the past – they just might hear the same spirit of freedom that they hear and feel in the jam band.

Too often cut time is thought of as having two beats in a measure. There are not two beats in a measure of cut time – there are four beats in a measure of cut time. So what makes this different than common time i.e. four beats in the measure?

The confusion all centers on understanding the difference between the concepts of beats and pulses. It certainly doesn’t help that virtually everyone who counts off cut time does so with a 1 – 2  1 – 2 count. The confusion about the beats is understandable, especially with this misleading counting convention. The 1 -2  1-2 is accounting for the two pulses in the measure, not two beats.

In traditional common time, each beat is represented by a foot tap. Four beats in a measure – four taps of the foot. If you don’t tap your foot, think of a metronome which clicks on each of the four beats.

When you play in cut time, the beat will feel slower but it’s an illusion. The beat itself is exactly the same speed as it was in common time. It’s your foot or the pulse that’s moving half as fast.

Think of a measure of four in two equal halves. Beats one and two represent the first half of the measure and beats three and four represent the second half of the measure. The first half of the measure gets the first tap or click. The second half of the measure gets the second tap or click – two pulses to the measure.

Here’s a simple example: Four quarter notes in a measure of common time. The foot tap or click occurs on each quarter note. If the quarter notes were to be read in cut time, the foot would now tap on beats one and three. The speed of the quarter notes would remain the same as if being read in common time.

Since the foot now taps on beats one and three, the “feel” of cut time is established. Although I’ve never heard anyone do it, I always felt that the count off for cut time should be 1 – 3  1 – 3 not 1 – 2  1 – 2.

When is cut time used? Broadway music, sambas, polkas, bluegrass, classical, many ethnic forms and anytime the tempo gets so fast that it would be unwieldy to count and tap in four. In the case of a runaway tempo, the cut time is used as a convenience, sometimes a self defense. In all the other situations, it is intended to produce a definite and distinctive feel.

When chords are being played in cut time on piano, the root is played on the left hand on beat one, the chord on the right hand on beat two, the fifth on the left hand on beat three and the chord on the right hand on beat four. The bass notes on beat one and on beat three create a strong stress that is responsible for the “two” feel of cut time. A guitar player hits a bass note on one,  a chord on two, an alternate bass note on three and a chord on four. These are all down strokes and produce the characteristic “Boom – Chuck’ sound. These piano and  guitar applications are both in the accompaniment role not the reading melody role.

Cut time is not as difficult as it seems. Play melodies in four and then in cut time so that you can see and feel the difference and similarities between them. You’ll find that they’re not as incompatible or as difficult as you feared!

In reality, this art form is simply spontaneous conversation between friends. A listener no more has to understand the intricacies behind it, than they have to understand the details of brush strokes to appreciate a painting.

Just listen to what the music is saying. It’s saying something different to each person. Unlike songs with lyrics, instrumental jazz allows the listener to form unique images, feelings and stories. Listen and enjoy!

Blues can be typically described as a 12 bar song structure based on the I, IV and V chords. These fundamental chords appear at specific locations within the 12 bar format. The function of the I chord occupies bars 1 through 4. Bars 5 and 6 introduce the IV chord. The I chord is again brought back to cover bars 7 and 8. The V chord makes its first appearance in bars 9 and 10. Bars 11 and 12 reintroduce the I chord and function as a turnback or turnaround.

Jazz Blues follows this same format but introduces substitutions and links between the critical chord functions. This discussion is based on the harmonic structures within Blues not the melodic or rhythmic aspects of it.

As Wes Montgomery said – “Blues is responsible for the fire in jazz” I couldn’t agree more!!!

Examples of this style of jazz blues can be found in my “Blues for Chris” from The Vintage Tracks CD and “Aqua Blue” from the Angel Blue – A Tour of Jazz CD.

www.ChuckAndersonGuitar.com

Al was strong, creative, encouraging and rock solid. That not only describes his music but also his character. He was always ready for something new but also valued tradition. His ability to respond musically to the moment was legendary. Whatever I played, he had a spontaneous musical reaction to it. He was the proverbial team player and yet a completely original voice.

Al taught for me at my school Modern Music Studios in Berwyn, PA for 5 years. Every night after teaching, we would go to a local pub where he would eat a roast beef sandwich and drink a couple of beers. My weakness leaned toward ham sandwiches and birch beer. Late into the night, we would talk music, sports or anything else two friends would talk about.

Al kept a distinct line between his musical life and his personal life. I realized that after he was gone, that I knew nothing about his personal life. I didn’t know where he lived except in a very general way. I didn’t know much about his family or his life outside our music. I didn’t know where he went school or where and how he trained musically. Despite this, I always felt that we were remarkably close.

I’m always disappointed that when I see any mention of Al in print, that it never mentions our collaboration. We did concerts, taught together and recorded for 5 years at a critical point in my musical development. Fortunately, our work continues on through the recording, The Vintage Tracks.

I owe a great debt to Al for his support of my music.

Chuck Anderson

In this context, I’m talking about the many levels of music. How many ways there are to enjoy and appreciate music.

1) Music is intellectual. There are so many principles behind music that one could spend a life time unravelling them. As a profession, we could call one who pursues these principles, a theoretician. But on a more casual level, understanding what is behind, what is beneath the music merely enhances one’s enjoyment of music, regardless of the form that music takes.

2) Music is emotional. Whether you are a singer, an instrumentalist, a composer, a song writer or just a fan, music provides a deep sense of emotional satisfaction. It’s difficult to find another activity that offers so much to so many.

3) Music is physical. Musicians train endless hours to develop the strength, agility and stamina that it takes to play music successfully. In this sense, the pursuit of music is like the pursuit of athletics.

4) Music is psychological. The control of the mind and the psyche is enhanced by the development of patience, the ability to communicate, the ability to work with others and the ability to balance ego and humility.

5) Music is philosophical. In music, many have found a way of life that benefits them in many facets of their own lives. The Greek Golden Mean of moderation, harmony and balance provides a basic structure by which you can guide your life.

These are just a few of the many ways that music influences and impacts lives.