Friday Night Jam: Sax, Hand Drums, Rock n Roll (Roots jam)

Fresh with discovery of African rhythms, a beginning djembe player tries to fit in with the local jam group, bucking the convention of cover tunes led by frontmen with guitars.On the one hand, he’s emboldened by freedom’s mantra, “It’s all good.” But harmony is not a given, when anxiety and impatience meet ego and status.Leaning on the upbeat and offbeat, a compromise might be struck in the reggae mode, a Third World feel. One way or another, the drop-ins and old hands at the Friday Night Jam have to find a way to get along, and more: to find gold in the moment.Part prose riff recalling Kerouac’s “spontaneous bop” style, and part guidance for would-be jam drummers, this musical memoir by Nowick Gray (creator of DjembeRhythms.com and the Roots Jam rhythm collections) warns of the pitfalls and shares the joys of group improvisation.Pick up your copy today by clicking the Buy Now button at the top of this page. Read more