Last updated: April 2026
Jazz jams and jam sessions are one of the best ways to network, meet new musicians and get better at improvising. Regularly hosted in venues around London and the UK, jam sessions can be great fun.
There are many different career paths in music that attending a jam night might help you get onto.
For instance, if you’re looking to start working as a session musician (potentially performing in an artist’s backing band or in the studio), attending a jazz jam night will give you some invaluable experience of playing with new musicians and a chance to practice a few of the vital musical skills you might need.
There are lots of different jams going on in most major towns and cities throughout the UK. The genres will vary, but they will generally either be Jazz or Blues-based, although there are also many Folk music-oriented events.
You can also read our LMM blog on finding musicians to jam with.
What is a jazz jam session?
A jazz jam session is an informal live event where musicians take it in turns to sit in with a house band and play jazz standards together. The house band usually opens with a short set, then the bandleader invites players up from the audience to join them on stage.
Someone calls a tune (often a well-known jazz standard), the key and tempo get agreed, the head is played, and then each player takes a turn to solo over the changes before the head is played again to finish. It’s equal parts social club, rehearsal room and public performance, and it’s one of the fastest ways to get better at playing jazz.
Key skills you might want to brush up on before attending a Jazz night
Improvisation
The first order of business for any Jazz night is the idea that anyone sitting in gets the chance to improvise.
When someone nods in your direction, you want to be ready! Think about playing over different changes, what scales work over what chords (and why!) and playing around/extemporising on melody lines. For a deeper dive, see our guide to improvising at jam sessions.
Changing key
If you’re having a singer sit in with the house band, they may want to change the song’s key they are about to sing to better suit their range.
Having a good handle on the Nashville number system is a good way to make this easier.
Stylistic awareness
Having a good knowledge of different styles of music is going to become invaluable when it comes to jamming along to a song you might not have heard before.
Try and become familiar with some of the most popular players in a certain genre and pick out a few of their particular trademarks and subtleties – this can be an exciting and mind-expanding experience!
Jam session etiquette
A few unwritten rules go a long way at a jazz jam. Don’t sit in on a tune you don’t know, keep your solos short (say what you have to say in a couple of choruses), respect the other soloists by not noodling on your instrument when they are playing, and remember that it’s the bandleader’s jam, not yours. Be polite, be humble, and listen before you play.
Jazz standards & real book tunes
The songs below are considered “Standards” of the jazz world and will be really popular for local jazz nights, so it’s worth taking a look at them. Here’s a few of our top picks, with some from Learnjazzstandards.com “50 Jazz Standards You Need To Know”:How to prepare for your first jazz jam
Before you head to your first jam, come prepared with three to five jazz standards you can play confidently from memory, including the head, the chord changes and a short solo over the form. Bring a small amp or your instrument in gig-ready condition, arrive early so you can hear the house band’s first set, put your name on the sign-up list, and be ready to introduce yourself to the bandleader. Above all, listen to what’s being played and only sit in when you know you can contribute.
Best jazz jam sessions in London
Here are some venues in London who run weekly jazz jam sessions (great places to hear saxophonists, jazz singers and jazz pianists mixing it up together). Google them for more information.
- Oliver’s – Greenwich
- The Amersham – New Cross
- Pangea Project – Stoke Newington
- Spice of Life – Soho
- Troy Bar – Shoreditch
Venue line-ups, nights and prices change frequently, so please check with the venue before travelling.
If you’re looking to hire a jazz band in London for a night like these (or any other event), or you want something a bit different like vintage bands or 1920s, 30s & 40s style bands, please check out the Last Minute Musicians directory.
There are also many jam sessions in London which are not solely for jazz musicians/bands. Here are a few venues in London who run different jam sessions:
- New Cross Inn – New Cross
- Electric Blues Club – Soho
- The Wheatsheaf – Lambeth
- RamJam Club – Kingston
Outside of London…
- Alexanders Live – Chester
- PARRJAZZ – Liverpool
- Bedford Street – Leamington Spa
A few sites for looking up other Jazz or jam nights across the country:
Don’t forget! If you’re looking for more gigs as a Jazz musician, head over to LastMinuteMusicians.com and register for a listing.
If you have any other good suggestions of jam nights, please post them in the comments below…
