Wanted: Percussionist / drummer for classic rock, americana jam!

Philadelphia PA

Description

I run a regular classic rock / americana / alt country jam that was based in West Philly for several years and is currently taking place in the Brewerytown neighborhood. I will copy the full description of the jam below. It's usually a lot of fun, especially if you like this kind of music and are looking for a low-pressure creative outlet. We have a good core group of regular players at the jams. I am now looking for additional players to add to the mix whenever I have space open. We do the jams about once every 3-4 weeks, usually on a Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday night. *At this time we are limiting participation to adults who are fully vaccinated for COVID-19.* We have been very conscious of COVID safety throughout the pandemic. As it has been for many musical events, choirs, and bands, this has been quite a challenge, and we've had to make continual adjustments. We are now getting back to "normal" indoor sessions, but we evaluate things on a month-by-month basis, looking at case numbers and public health recommendations. In short, we're making it work, while doing our best to keep everyone safe... Right now I have a space open for a percussionist with a light touch--someone who's interested in the challenge of adding percussion to a set played in a small room, without microphones for the singers. It's an acoustic jam in principle, so we keep the levels pretty low. It's definitely not full-on rock drumming, and instead it is suited to a player who enjoys finding a way to bring percussion into the mix without creating an arms race in terms of volume. Electronic drums, where we can control the amplification, could work well--but we need something portable that we can bring in and cart out each time. Beyond that, acoustic snare and brush, cajon, or hand percussion might all be possible. Please read below for more info. If it looks interesting, just drop me a line, give me a sense of who you are and what your musical background is, and include your contact info. I'll look forward to being in touch! ________________________________________________________ JAM DESCRIPTION: I am an experienced guitar player/singer/multi-instrumentalist who organizes a regular jam and is looking for other fun, laid-back players to join in. I've played for a long time and have an extensive repertoire of classic rock/folk/blues/pop standards, but I'm certainly no pro. I just love the music. This jam is perfect for amateurs who have some solid musical chops but don't get a chance to play much in a group context, or for more serious musicians who just want to hang out and play some tunes in a chill, non-professional setting. Hopefully the description below will give you pretty good idea of what the jam is all about. While the jam is relaxed, it is also very well organized, with method to the madness that keeps the tunes coming. I come out of a hootenanny performance tradition and my songbook leans toward classic rock: The Band, Neil Young, Bob Dylan, Rolling Stones, Grateful Dead. We also do some country / alt country (like Gillian Welch, Emmylou Harris, Ryan Adams, and Lucinda Williams tunes), plus blues and folk (such as Old Crow Medicine Show and Rise Up Singing standards). I take suggestions for jam tunes ahead of time and give people a chance to learn the songs in advance if they want. At the same time, I always have chord charts and lyrics on hand for everything, so you don't need to know the numbers by heart. The jam takes place about once every 3-4 weeks in the home of one of our players, usually with 8-10 musicians. It's an acoustic jam in principle, but we amp the bass and various lead instrumental parts as necessary. It's all about getting together with like-minded people to sing songs, share some riffs, create a few harmonies, and have fun. I pass the hat at the sessions to pay for jam-related expenses. Contributions are purely voluntary and some people also contribute by bringing beers or a snack. It's a share and share alike situation. I'm currently looking for a percussionist to join the fun. In theory this is an acoustic jam (we don't use microphones for the singers, and we try to keep the volume low enough so that we don't overpower them), and we're set up in a pretty small room. We're looking for a percussionist who can be creative in keeping the beat and adding to the ensemble within those confines--someone with a light touch. Electronic drums, acoustic snare and brush, cajon, or hand percussion might all be possible. Let me know what you have in mind and we can discuss the options. Besides musicianship, I'm generally looking for people who are very reliable and who might want to commit to doing something like this at least once a month. I want people who reply promptly to e-mails and show up when they say they will. The jam is usually on Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday night. If you think you fit the bill, please send me an e-mail. I'm open to many styles. Just let me know a bit about your musical background, what you like to play, and who you are. I'll look forward to hearing from you!