Nietszche, on Improvisation, and Jam on Sunday

Friedrich Nietszche once famously remarked “Without music, life would be a mistake.”

Of course, I have no idea what he was banging on about, but I am unreliably informed that he may have been in the plastic wrapped lettuce section of Coles at the time, and would have been better off at the Lunatic Soup Lounge last Sunday, where the good, the average and the delusional neatly collided at around 4.39pm. for a splendid little session de jam.

It is a little known fact that, Nietszche, who detested Klezmer, once took up the pfennig whistle after hearing Adolphe Sax trading fours with a boy scout from Brussels. This is, of course, little known, mainly because I just made it up…

But I digress. The Jam Session, yes, it is all coming back to me now..Jam Sessions thrive on improvisation, coupled with desperation, inspiration and a good slap of mistakes. And last Sunday’s was one such, it would seem, The arvo kicked of with a set from Gentleman John Curtis, purveyor of fine toons to the gentry, with Noel and the Captain on saxophones, and I can’t quite remember who else. Two new drummers turned up – Steve, all the way from Euro, and Mike both on the money, the Debster got up and sang, with Bob on piano, then Katerina Myskova put in a coupla fine numbers, the Hirsh on drums, Mr Lole amusing himself at the eight ball table and getting up later, Colonel T I think, Ivan the terrible, Chrissie and Bruce and a bunch of others, before I left – the final tally stood at 22 musicians, all marvellously talented, young good looking and in most cases delusional.

And imrpovisation, or omparvosition as it is sometimes called? Well, if you can tell the difference between that and a muso just being plain lost, then don’t – you would be wasting your time in this fine company.

Or just make it up as you go along. TW