jam
what it is
A jam session is a relatively informal musical event, process, or activity where musicians, typically instrumentalists, play improvised solos and vamp over tunes, drones, songs, and chord progressions. To "jam" is to improvise music without extensive preparation or predefined arrangements. Original jam sessions, also called "free flow sessions," are often used by musicians to develop new material (music) and find suitable arrangements.
✦ start here: albums
✦ who's making it, level by level
level 2 · the door
big names with a sharper edge
level 3 · one step out
cult favorites and indie darlings
level 4 · further
art pop, hyperpop, and the underground
level 5 · all the way
deep experimental
✦ make jam a playlist
turn these 32 artists into something you can press play on.
✦ nearby genres
questions
What is jam?
A jam session is a relatively informal musical event, process, or activity where musicians, typically instrumentalists, play improvised solos and vamp over tunes, drones, songs, and chord progressions. To "jam" is to improvise music without extensive preparation or predefined arrangements. Original jam sessions, also called "free flow sessions," are often used by musicians to develop new material (music) and find suitable arrangements.
What are good jam albums to start with?
Try Joy by Phish, Albumen by The Egg, Crash by Dave Matthews Band, and Reckoning by Grateful Dead.
Who are some women making jam?
musicisforgirls.com/genres/jam/girls lists women, non-binary artists, and bands with women making jam, from mainstream to underground.
genre notes from last.fm listeners · artists and albums from last.fm, updated 2026-10-19