It has been suggested that I write some posts on basses to spice up this blog.
That is of course kind of like casting Peewee Herman in a Rambo movie to 'toughen it up" but hey, what the hell - here goes.


To musicians a 'jam' generally means that people turn up with lots of fruit and sugar and boil it up in the kitchen out back. The best results are to be had when they all cram through the doorway at the same time thereby blocking it.Bass players don't generally get to help out at 'jams', but the fun part is trying to get through the doorway while everyone else is crammed there.You need to be listening carefully to the muffled sounds of squashed musicians (usually fiddle players) at the bottom of the 'jam'. I also cheat and watch the hands of the guitarist who is stirring the mixture. I know all their recipes so it's pretty easy to follow along.
The word 'jam' means slightly different things in different types of music. Jazz jams generally involve using raw sugar and non-uniform shaped fruit. Folk/Cajun/acoustic/Texan jams generally involve individuals bringing in wild swamp berries and cacti which only they know where to find them. The result tastes like crap but is sure interesting.
Traditionally Rock jams often involved a Damson plum - Grapefruit type of progression or a 12 jar blues (using blueberries). Modern Rock jams seem to involve cooking up instant jam mixtures available from the supermarket. Bass jams are not popular and are usually made from pumpkins,watermelons and unusually shaped turnips - not to everyone's taste. Usually they are stored well at the back of the cupboard until the use by date is exceeded.
Well that's it for now, I hope that this was helpful.