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The Team – Tim, Mike P, Siew,  Mike H, Bernie,

A Free Monthly Jazz Jam in Melbourne’s Eastern Suburbs.

Our next Jam will be on Sat 7th November 2026, the first Saturday of the month 1 pm to 5 pm.

The Maroondah Jazz Jammers is now a not for profit incorporated association. Our formal name is Maroondah Community Music Association Inc but we will still be known as Maroondah Jazz Jammers since the new association owns that business name.

We are also expanding our activities.

Program for  Sat 7th November 2026

• 12:30 :1:00 pm Setup
• 1:00pm – 3:15 pm Structured Jazz
• 3:15pm – 3:30 pm Break – Changeover
• 3:30 pm to 5pm Connected Jazz Improvisation
• 5:00 pm – 5:30pm Packup

Structured Jazz

This is pretty much a continuation of what we have been doing at our jams for the last 4 years or so. We play from lead sheets that include a single melody line, chords and lyrics where applicable. All our songs  can be found and downloaded from our drop box, (see below for link). Books with all our current songs with versions for different instruments (C Instruments, Bb Instruments and Eb Instruments) are provided at the jam. Every musician is given the opportunity to solo and/or improvise on each song but only if they want to. If you have been practising a particular song  or songs you can ask the session leader to play this/these songs. This would normally be limited to three requests for each musician. You don’t need to be an expert player to join in. Just play what you can or even just sit there with your instrument and listen. Singers are also welcome but please check out the additional information mentioned below that is on our  drop box. This is to ensure singers have the best possible experience. We provide keyboard and drums that are often shared. You can bring your own keyboard if you wish but please come early so you can  set up. Interrupting a session to set up keyboards and other “complicated” instruments is not appreciated.

Connected Jazz Improvisation

Jazz was originally an aural tradition that merged out of African music. Over time it blended with Western music and got written down.

Music from the big band era was highly orchestrated. Virtuosos of the 1930s and 40s like Coleman Hawkins, Benny Goodman, and Lester Young had to read sheet music. There were a few notable exceptions but a musician who couldn’t read struggled to find consistent employment in these large ensembles. While most virtuoso jazz players read music and possessed an advanced grasp of music theory, they always relied heavily on playing by ear.

All great jazz musicians at their core are aural players.  A key skill to playing great jazz is listening in order to master the nuances of tone, swing, rhythm, and phrasing.

There is an old jazz adage that says “If You Can’t Sing It, You Can’t Play It”

If a player relies only on finger shapes and muscle memory their solos sound mechanical and disconnected. When they play by “singing,” the solo flows with natural, human breath and narrative structure.

Playing jazz aurally requires putting away the sheet music. This is the moment a jazz musician stops reading the script and starts living the story and the music undergoes a profound shift called “connection”

Without the physical barrier of a music stand and pages of music a musician is free to listen to their own internal musical voice, connect with other musicians to create a real time musical conversation and open up and project energy outward to share an authentic, vulnerable moment of spontaneous creation with the audience.

That is what this session is about. It is for those want to develop their aural jazz skills for beginners and experts alike. Once mastered, playing jazz this way can be easy, fun and natural.

Community Music and Street Busking

A number of members have indicated their interest in performing in council designated busking areas or, by invitation or arrangement, at places such as local farmers’ markets or age care facilities etc.

This will be an acoustic only group aurally playing popular, well known, standards. There will be no amplifiers other then where built into electronic instruments like the synthesiser. There will also be no music or music stands when performing   All instruments and accessories must be easily able to be picked up and carried. In some venues, like a farmers market, the band will need to move a number of times during a gig.

We are am developing/constructing some portable musical instruments including a washboard (percussion), a single string fretless box bass and a 49 key battery powered, keyboard synthesizer. We are also looking for a flat round hand drum known as a Bendir that is often used in middle eastern music.

Initially we are proposing a single six piece ensemble. We are currently looking for a percussionist, someone to learn to play the box bass, a keyboard player and guitarist. This ensemble will  include a skilled horn player capable and comfortable with playing their instrument at low volume.

The aim will not simply be to assemble a group of musicians who can play particular songs, but to develop something distinctive through the way we listen and play together.

 A warm, positive engaging performance  that attracts people’s attention and brings smiles to their faces is envisaged.

Anyone interested please contact me and we will take it from there.