Root River Jam has been playing musical improv together for more than 10 years. They are releasing a new song (Showed Me That You Love Me) on November 18 and playing a few shows to share it with the world, including November 17 at the Aster Café.
Please tell us about Root River Jam. How did you come to music and how did you come to play together?
Like a lot of musicians, all of our members started when they were young. My personal story is that I was raised singing and performing with my family. Shortly thereafter came piano and guitar lessons. I sang and played in school, church, 4-H, plays, band, choir, and of course starter bands with my friends. I played in cover bands out of high school. Although I started writing music around that time, It was really a skill on a personal level. One I was honing and improving upon. I played in cover bands but always kept increasing my improvisational skill around cover material. If you know songs inside and out, one can really “jam” around a bit while staying within the context of the song. Alot of songs are that way to a more or lesser degree.
As time progressed I was writing more music and the play-only cover scene just kind of grew less attractive for me. I was helping to raise our young family and I dug in to writing and recording more and didn’t play out much at all. When my kids began to spend more time with their friends and were able to drive more and more, I began to play music out some and I realized that I was writing most of my music on acoustic guitar. So it was a natural progression to build a band into what became Root River Jam. Which is an acoustic instrumentation band for the most part. Although that varies sometimes with a few fill in players. I advertised on Craigslist of all places …. lol. And I met Blake, the upright bass player, who is a founding member of RRJ. And I met our first drummer , Sean, on Craigslist as well. Knew someone who knew a fiddle player and that fell into place. As with most groups we have changed some of our line up. One of my main goals for this “new band” “new approach” I was building, was to have plenty of improv and trading off with leadwork. I guess you could say going around the circle with all the players. We do actually have our drummers take quite a few as well. With that said, having a “Jam band” is having alot of improv within your context of songs. Most jam bands have a basic framework for the songs they are playing. And work within and around that framework to improvise to them. Some of the songs lend themselves more to that cover or original. I don’t very often just write a song just to “Jam” I have passions and mood driving my art like most artists do. We’ll bring the jam if there is space and sometime we wiggle around to make new space. Finding new space is part of the fun and challenge of playing live music.
What is it like when an improv band records a song?
The recording process for me is much the same for any song with the basic rhythm tracks. I have some starting goals in mind but then it’s about building the framework of the song by recording scratch tracks and finding those sympathetic tracks that can give you the foundation for the improving and/or leadwork tracks. I think it’s safe to assume a lot of artists’ processes may be the same at the start of a project/song! If it’s decided we need to open up to more improv on a song it usually becomes clear after the basic scratch tracks are recorded. I do sometimes go back to a song and make myself play the recording note for note after we release a new song. I find it’s good practice to do that and gives one a measured sense in your skill set.
Do you continue to improv that song when you play live or is it suddenly set in stone?
One of my main goals for this “new band” “new approach” was to have plenty of improv and trading off with leadwork. I guess you could say going around the circle with all the players. We do actually have our drummers take quite a few as well. With that said, having a “Jam band” is having a lot of improv within your context of songs. Most jam bands have a basic framework for the songs they are playing. And they work within and around that framework to improvise to them. Some of the songs lend themselves more to that, whether cover or original. I don’t very often write a song just to “Jam”. I have passions and mood driving my art like most artists do. We’ll bring the “jam” if there is space and sometimes we wiggle around to make new space. Which is some of what an improv band does is find new space within those contexts. Which could be metaphorically what life is like as well! Finding new space within your context! As far as staying in the improv arena, yes, for the most part they are not set in stone and we do not play our songs note for note when we play live shows. Some of my originals do not lend themselves to improving much and you have to stay “closer to home” so to speak.
A good example of a cover song that we do without improv would be Dave Matthews Bands “Where are you Going” pretty much a jamming kind of band but no improv in that song.
Your newest song, Showed Me that You Loved Me, drops November 18. It’s like listening to a hug – so positive, accepting and uplifting. Please tell us more about it.
“Showed me that you Love Me” gives the band and myself much the same feeling! That’s a good description, a “Musical Hug”. It’s mainly about just dropping whatever seemed important that day and making and spending time with your significant other. Some of the verses are about my life’s experiences. Like swimming across a river in Idaho. Renting a Mustang in Albuquerque flying down Rte 66, Americas Highway!
It feels also like coming out of last year 2022 with the Love is Unity album being released the message was togetherness and that our differences actually make us stronger as a whole. There was alot of divisiveness during the pandemic, it was pretty intense, and I think the narrative never really told us that our differences made us stronger together.
That may be why Showed me that you Love Me came about through love, caring, and lightening up a bit.
Is this the start of a new album?
Yes, this is the first single for a new album. There are 6 or 7 songs on the burner so far. It will be a variety of songs. Pretty much like all of our albums, a variety of Americana music anywhere from folk to blues and rock elements
Where can people see you play live?
Our next show is November 17th at Aster Cafe in Minneapolis MN. Attendees will be able listen to and download Showed me that you Love Me pre release
November 18th is the actual release show for Showed me that you Love Me at Thesis Beer Project in Rochester MN
We also have a show in Winona, MN, December 2nd at the Art Center
Mostly Minnesota 