The Jam
Four horn mics, three drum sets, two keyboards, and one massive stage set up was ready Friday night to present The Holiday Jam, the season friendly version of The Jam, a now iconic New Haven music series and staple of The State House where it has found its home since 2019.
A musical mélange of friends and fellow musicians that come together to improvise and inspire, The Jam is the brainchild of musicians Paul Bryant Hudson and Jeremiah Fuller, who, along with a core group of musicians, typically play one set as a full band, and then a second set where they invite other musicians and vocalists to come up and have a turn at being part of the magic. The entire time, they intertwine their respective skills and sounds of jazz, R&B, soul, and just about everything and anything else, uplifting each other to reach the highest of heights.
On this particular night the vibe was already high before a note was even played. Smiles, hugs, and handshakes were shared by seemingly everyone for almost an hour. By the time some of the bandmembers got up to the stage and began to tune up, the crowd was already bopping along as if they had already started a full song. The sound began to build in a soft and soulful way, the keys, bass, and drums opening the door and inviting the rest to join in.
Immediately heads began bopping and phones were raised to record the proceedings. Soon Hudson began to sing “smile though your heart is aching,” and yeses were heard throughout the crowd as the core band for the night filled in and fleshed out Nat King Cole’s “Smile,” bending and blending it into their own unique version, which they eventually mashed into the holiday favorite “Christmas Time Is Here” by Vince Guaraldi. That core band — 11 members strong — included Hudson on vocals, Fuller on keys, Trey Moore and Pete Greco on guitars, Jocelyn Pleasant on percussion, Bryce Thompson and Albear Sheffield on drums, Corey Claiborne on bass, and a horn section that included Dylan Olimpi McDonnell, Tim Kane, Stephen “Gritz” King, and Wesley Lewis.
During a short break in the music, Hudson welcomed everyone and elaborated on what the Jam was and was not.
“This is not a performance,” he said. “This is not an event. It’s an institution. It’s a community. It’s an idea. It’s an invitation, right, to be a part of a thing, to be a part of a creative process, an improvisational process, and we’re just happy that y’all are here.”
He continued by explaining how the night would proceed.
“Typically for the first set the core crew you see here, we play a few songs, we explore, we travel a bit, we sort of reach out into the crowd to see who wants to join us, jam with us, you feel me, you know what I’m talking about?” he added with a laugh as the crowd cheered him on.
“So, if that’s something you feel like you want to do I usually hang out down here.” He pointed to the floor in front of the stage.
“Just holler at me and we’ll figure out how you fit into this. Does that feel good? Does that feel right?” The crowd cheered him on.
“Do we have singers out here?” he asked, and then answered himself. “Of course we do.”
Moore then added, “this ain’t a show, man. Like Paul said, we just jamming. You can all vibe with us.”
“Absolutely,” Hudson agreed.
Trey Moore
After a short playful interaction about the price of Honey Buns, the music began again, and this time the band took a trip through “Footsteps in the Dark” by the Isley Brothers, finding its own way around and through the music, each musician having a turn at a solo, each communicating with the others as they eventually injected more of the holiday spirit into the mix by visiting another Nat King Cole piece, “Merry Christmas to You,” and then “Winter Wonderland,” with Hudson adding in lyrics from “Sweet Love” by Anita Baker as the horn section continued to play pieces of that holiday classic. The audience kept right on dancing and singing along.
Greco and Fuller.
During the break the room seemed to fill right up as the band members made their way through the crowd, greeting people and making connections with those who came in carrying instruments. Soon Fuller was back on stage asking where the drummers were, and asking them to come to the side of the stage. He joked with Moore and Hudson while a few new musicians took their places on stage to join in the festivities for the second set. As the music swelled, the audience did as well, coming closer to the stage and filling up the front while moving along with the joyous beats. Soon Hudson, who was sitting on the edge of the stage off to the side, began singing a soulful version of Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit,” much to the delight of the band and the crowd. Thus began a solid hour of jamming without break, including the switching in and out of multiple drummers who each got their chance to shine. Soon more holiday music was infused into the set with a mashup of “Carol of the Bells” and “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen” becoming as intense as any heavy metal as even more musicians were added into the mix. Soon pieces of “Good King Wenceslas” threaded through, and the crowd continued to go wild.
The band was then joined by vocalist Finn Wiggins-Henry, who was then joined by vocalists Crystal and Sharon Dickey, adding in the bluesy vocals of “Summertime” and then exploding into “Ain’t Nobody” by Chaka Khan and Rufus while the audience danced and sang along.
It ended up being one of those magical New Haven evenings when it felt like the music could never end and you would be just fine with that, which is something the Jam itself is becoming legend for. That feeling of freedom that the band itself inspires by creating as they go along transfers over into the audience as well. Even if you are not up on stage, you are still part of the vibe, and you start to feel as if anything is possible. And for one night, even if this has been a difficult year or time of year for you, you indeed feel comfort and joy.
Please follow The Jam’s Instagram page for information about 2023 dates.
