Have you ever watched a big flock of birds, like blackbirds or starlings? One minute, the flock is an amorphous cloud of black wings, with no apparent shared interest or motives. Then, all of a sudden, something miraculous happens – the whole cloud seems to decide to move as one, and the cloud becomes a single entity, with a distinct shape and apparent will of its own. It’s fascinating and delightful to see.
A jam session is sometimes just like that – especially when the players are not very familiar with each other. They begin a little disorganized, sort of feeling each other out, and then, perhaps suddenly, perhaps gradually, they come together and begin to play as one. Sometimes, the effect is fleeting – order devolves back into chaos. Other times, the players stay locked in and everyone enjoys that feeling of a whole being greater than sum of its parts.
We’ve all see jams where everyone is a terrific player and they run through song after song with effortless precision. It’s a joy, but eventually, it ceases to be amazing and you move on. Our senses are designed primarily to detect changes in our environment, and even polished excellence grows less remarkable.
I like relaxed jams where everyone’s there to have a good time, and players test their own limits, and the players around them. This can sound like a train wreck for a while, but if they persist, they start to lock into each other’s skills and rhythms and everything comes together for a while. It’s the transition from disorder to harmony that provides the thrill. Time and time again, I have seem jammers try new stuff just to keep things challenging. They try new keys, “grass up” non-bluegrass songs, and choose instruments they’re not as familiar with.
The result is lots of noise, lots of laughs and every now and then, moments of great music. I admit, sometimes I prefer to play songs I know, but among friends (new or old), embracing the chaos is flat out exhilarating. So, this spring and summer, I’m going to make sure I look for some jams with built in risk and tension. Then, the goal is to pick my brains and laugh my head off. Sounds dangerous…
