If you can’t beat ’em, join ’em. That’s the stance of many a talented musician gorging themselves on the ever-increasing number of jam sessions around Berlin. These nights are quickly becoming the hottest ticket in town, and there’s good reason why.
If you’ve ever been to one, you’ll have noticed how extremely talented your neighbours have suddenly become. One moment you’re standing in the crowd; the next, the person beside you is on stage riffing out an extended saxophone solo. Gone are the days of embarrassing open mic nights of badly renditioned Jeff Buckley songs. Today, Berlin’s venues are now platforming some embarrassingly diverse talent, from rappers to keyboardists, all flaunting a sickening amount of skills across multiple genres and creating music on the fly.
Across the city on almost every day of the week, these prodigious improvisers gather en masse at special jam-parties, where you can watch the impromptu magic take shape. On Monday at Petite Salon, ACUD’s small venue becomes a cauldron of musical aptitude, in which R’n’B and soul singers trade vocal blows with session keyboard players and on-fire guitarists. It’s one of the most energetic melting pots of creativity, with someone new popping up and taking over the stage every session. But wait, there’s more…
Gone are the days of embarrassing open mic nights of badly renditioned Jeff Buckley songs.
On the first Tuesday of every month at Badehaus, The SWAG crew leads Berlin’s best hip hop, open mic, collective improv party, made famous back in 2019 when a certain Erykah Badu made a special surprise appearance. Then, on Wednesdays at 90mil, Cassette Heads’ backing band invites any-and-all to jazz, jam and soulfully invigorate the proceedings late into the night. Expect anything from bossa nova to Afrobeats. On the last Thursday of each month, the Jam of Hearts team plugs it out at Café Engels, interweaving psych-blues, funk and pure vibes. On Fridays (like every other day of the week), if you know a classic scale or two, you can throw your metaphorical hat into the ring with other greats at Hat Bar.
With concert ticket prices exploding across the city, jam nights provide a refreshing and affordable alternative, where spontaneity and diverse musical flavours shine through. Is this the future of concerts? That’s a sticky conversation. What’s important is that these sessions allow local talent to be spread widely across the city, preserving Berlin’s unique musical essence.
