Good News for the Marmalade Jam

People making open jam music work make me happy, especially when they’re successful at fusing multi-cultural influences. It’s like a tiny bit of arts diplomacy, and that’s a good thing. Sounds like Ivaylo of the Marmalade Jam and her compatriots have been able to pull together something particularly warm and fuzzy within the bright lil bubble of good ole Balattou. She shared these mp3’s and pictures with us from their first collaborative jam show, and sent us the friendly good news update below. There was clearly a lot of passionate melody making and good fun going down, so get prepped for April 12, when the Marmalade Jam returns:

Hi, Risa!

Thanks for writing about the first Marmalade Jam Session on indyish.com!

Just want to tell you that it went really well, and the organizers of the Nuits d’Afrique festival want to work with me to promote it, and make it grow. They loved the concept and the friendly, creative, and
all-inclusive mood of the first Marmalade Jam Session. It did turn into a great party!

Hope you can make it to the next Marmalade Jam Session on
April 12 at Club Balattou!

Ivaylo

http://www.myspace.com/marmaladejamsession

Here’s some more info from the updated Myspace on how the Jam works:

Yeah, it’s about playing unrehearsed original music on stage with total strangers.

The house band (keys, bass and drums) can sight read music. We got extra guitar amps and mikes set up and ready to go. Singers, singer/songwriters and musicians (any instrument), can bring 3 sheets of their original song or composition, or simply a chord chart, and join the band to play, or sing it on stage. If you don’t have an original tune to bring with, then you can sit in on whatever song we are playing. Or just jump on stage in the middle of a song that moves you, and blow a solo.