I’m involved with three different jam groups with little or no overlap in players. Monday and Thursday night, each different and Tuesday and Thursday lunch time being the other group. Maybe it’s me but all these groups seem to be slowing tempos down and it is driving me crazy and on some level boring me to death.
Monthly readers (all 3 or 4 of you) will no doubt know that I played in a very industrious semi-amateur bluegrass band called ‘bout Time! for about a decade until like many bands it fizzled out. ‘bout Time! had an ongoing 3 set repertoire with a mix of tunes, keys and tempos. Many of our songs had tempos at 120 BPM or greater and with a few at over 130. As I used to say “two whole steps higher and 10 BPM quicker and we would have some real bluegrass.” Sure we played in slower tempos if the tunes called for it and that provided some variety and kept our audiences engaged and our performances fresh.
Playing in my current jam groups, I’m finding the top tempos to be in the 90’s with (meant to be) slower songs played at dirge tempos. I know what you’re saying, aren’t you the bass player? That’s right I am but contrary to common but faulty knowledge, bass players don’t set the tempo but rather they keep it where the song kicker sets it, in my humble bass player opinion.
In analyzing the cause of what I am calling the “great tempo slowdown” I’ve tried to narrow down some causes. First I considered, is it old age but I shot that down as I am the oldest player in two of my groups. As for the third group, I am a month shy of moving into my 7th decade and I’m only 4th oldest out of seven jammers. So with this group, age may be a factor but not so with the other two.
Another factor causing the “great tempo slowdown” is the experience and skill level of the jammers. I got into these jams by being invited. I chose to play in them for two reasons (there are always two). The first is that they conveniently fit my schedule and the second, more importantly, is that I didn’t have any other invites.
To be fair to these jam groups, there are good players in all of them but the tempos seem to be set at the path of least resistance. It is not only skill levels but also missing some key bluegrass components and stylings, for example doing a Jimmy Martin song at 92 BPM and in the key D doesn’t work for me. Like I said earlier “a few whole steps higher, maybe 4 or 5 in this case, and maybe 25 BPM faster, also in this particular case and we would have some real bluegrass.
One could say I should be more mindful and accommodating of all levels of players in these jams and one is correct, I should be and usually am mindful and accommodating but lately it has been beginning to wear on me. One (not necessarily the same one) could also say, if I’m not happy, quit going… but here’s the rub, I don’t have any other options to play elsewhere. Occasionally, I get calls to fill in on bass for other groups but they are only fill-in slots.
How come I don’t get invited to other jams? To answer that I’ll use the title of a Flatt and Scruggs song I like to sing called “I’ll Take The Blame” and the reason I’ll take the blame is title of another song. This one is not a bluegrass standard but a Tin Pan Alley standard by Duke Ellington, that I learned from my father singing in the shower, called “I Don’t Get Around Much Anymore”.
Have I thoroughly confused you yet or even worse lost you. I hope not on either count.
As I very quickly approach 70, I’m getting worked up in trying not to be an old man…even though I am. I used to get out more to live music and jams but in the last few years not so much anymore and I’m not really sure why. I still don’t miss going to FDF for a week every year but that is about it. No GOF, no Parkfield, no camp outs. I didn’t used to be like this but for a variety of reasons I’ve slowed down but that’s about to change. I don’t want to be playing at 92 BPM anymore.
I am shopping for a conversion van for my birthday present. Linda and I went the RV route and it didn’t work for us. It basically sat in the driveway except for two times a year and it took work to getting going each trip. Before RV’s, we had our VW Eurovan and we were much more active and mobile. Sure it didn’t have all the creature comforts but it made it to GOF every year.
The thinking is, if I can get out to more jamming events, I might get to jam more and maybe with players that like to play at some faster tempos and hopefully that’ll lead to some more jamming opportunities on an ongoing basis.
Another month down. Sorry no tequila this month but the 1st Thursday of November is my 70th birthday and I guarantee there will be tequila involved that day.
