Jam Session Review

“Trad” Jazz Jam on Tuesdays at De Kleine Duivel

Baltimore is enjoying another successful jazz jam, this time featuring blaring, brassy melodies, the playful articulation of the clarinet and the “chunk-chunk” of the banjo. These are some of the hallmarks of the New Orleans sound — traditional, or “trad,” jazz. Started by local musician Zach Serleth, the city is now home to the Baltimore Trad Jazz Jam. Happening most Tuesdays of each month, this jam is hosted by De Kleine Duivel, a popular bar in Hampden tucked below The Bluebird Café, where they currently allow patrons to bring in outside food. De Kleine Duivel (“the little devil,” in Flemish) is a perfect venue for a night out to revel in musical nostalgia or just enjoy a delicious Belgian ale.

The house band consists of Jon Mathis (trumpet), Seth Kibel (clarinet), Brian Priebe (trombone), Ed Goldstein (tuba), Sami Arefin (lead guitar) and Zach Serleth, who cycles between upright bass, rhythm guitar, and banjo. The jam begins with an hour of the house band, then opens up to others. Horns of all types are welcomed with open arms. Play guitar or bass? No problem. You can tag-team with Zach, Sami or Ed. Tap dance? Come on up and you will find yourself captivating the crowd. Musicians, from novice to advanced, will expect warm welcomes from everybody once the house band opens up to the jammers

When I first came to check it out, I was a little iffy about jamming, simply because I was not familiar with the repertoire. But I was put at ease when I found the chord changes to several of the tunes were not as intimidating as I had expected. In fact, many of the songs played were familiar from other jazz scenes, such as “Honeysuckle Rose” and “I’m Confessin’ (That I Love You).”  The jam also takes place on a raised stage where performers and listeners are easily visible to one another. The accessible repertoire and the high visibility are excellent for beginner musicians to hone their jazz chops and get used to performing in front of an audience. Towards the end of the session, all musicians are invited to join in on a mass jam, where the last few tunes are played with a combined force of sheer volume and intensity. The result is a crescendoing climax that fills the room with energy and immediately grabs everyone’s attention. This was the highlight of the jam. 

Serleth, a founding member of the band Tongue in Cheek, and now moving into some new musical partnerships, started this jam after prodding from a friend on Facebook. After serious consideration, he moved forward with the idea of a trad jazz jam, approaching the management of De Kleine Duivel, which had previously hosted a gypsy jazz jam. He organized this jam not only because he loves trad jazz, but also because he felt there were not enough musicians in Baltimore playing in this style. He also has a strong commitment to community-building and hopes this jam will help create a more connected network throughout the Baltimore jazz scene.

A unique characteristic of this jam is that it is geared towards swing dancers, most of whom congregate in a space in front of the stage. Many of the tunes feature medium tempos and short durations, ideal for those who don’t want to dance for 12 minutes straight at 240 beats per minute. Typically, each tune lasts 5 – 6 minutes and is rarely too fast or slow for dancers. At each session I have attended so far, I have seen a huge success in participation by musicians and by the large number of dancers who have come out to have a great time. This weekly event has quickly become a very popular attraction for the city’s Lindy Hoppers. One regular, Isabel Robinson, says, “The jam has a great atmosphere.  There’s a lot of space to dance, and the band is great to listen to. The musicians are awesome and very welcoming to new musicians.” Each week, once the downbeat starts, the room is filled with eager dancers.

Dancers, musicians, and patrons can experience a night where two musical realms– modern and traditional–blend into one another. The new decade has kicked off big time with the arrival of the Baltimore Trad Jazz Jam. You do not want to miss out on this jam!                                 

–by Kris Belgica

Kristoffer Belgica is Baltimore-based guitarist who plays in local Django jazz ensembles Hot Club of Baltimore, and Swing 5. He also leads the 27th Street Klezmer Band. After seven years of service in the U.S. Air Force, Kristoffer now studies anthropology at Towson University while contributing to the Baltimore jazz community. He has written several articles for the BJA newsletter.

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