HISTORY
On July 13, 2003, our first Sunday Jam Session took place at the Sanctuary
Coffeehouse in Somerville, NJ. Jim Jasion, the founder, envisioned a Traditional Jazz jam session geared to the membership
of the New Jersey Jazz Society, many of whose members, lived in the area.
Unexpectedly, the first participants came from other "walk-ins" to the
coffeehouse and some local high school students who were studying jazz.
When the coffeehouse closed early in 2005, the Sunday Jam Sessions were moved to
The Red Tower III Family Restaurant on Route 22 in Bridgewater, NJ.
In April, 2006, the sessions were moved to Thursday evenings and a new Sunday Jam
Session was instituted at PJ's Coffee in Highland Park. In September, after a month's hiatus, the Thursday Jam
Sessions were moved to the Day's Inn of Hillsborough.
The following April, in 2007, the current schedule and venues were adopted, with
a Sunday Jam Session continuing at PJ's and a Wednesday Evening Jam Session at Rhythm's Nightclub in Manville, NJ.
Currently we have two
regularly scheduled Jam Sessions with a select group of participating musicians performing every Monday and Tuesday evenings
from 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM at the Home Town Buffet. The buffet is located at 561 US Highway 1 (at the intersection of Route
1 and Plainfield Avenue) in Edison, NJ.
MISSION
As we've grown,
we've begun to fill a niche all too often neglected in current day academic musical training for young jazz students.
That is, the opportunity to play in a small to medium combo setting, without
recourse to a fully fixed score, relying upon one's own ear and improvising ability to create a cohesive ensemble sound.
This goes beyond the typical performing experience of many a current day musician-in-training.
We extend the following invitation to music students, their instructors, their parents,
friends and other interested musicians. This is to:
(1)
Learn, by listening and/or
performing about the real Jazz, not just what is being spoonfed to the public as 'Smooth',
'Cool' or 'Soft' Jazz by the large record corporations.
(2)
Fostering community-based
local live musicianship by making jazz easily accessible to a local audience, and in so doing developing
and nurturing a knowledgeable audience / clientele for the music.
(3)
Providing a networking opportunity for musicians to connect with other musicians.
