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strawberryJAM

Austin, Texas, United States | SELF

Austin, Texas, United States | SELF
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"Veteran Band Still JAMs"

Any fans of local band strawberryJAM will be pleased to hear that they have definite plans to continue rocking. The guys of strawberryJAM will be relocating to Austin, Texas where they will be preparing for a string of shows, the recording of their first full-length album, the launch of their own Internet radio station and a 10-day summer tour. A full plate, I’d say.

This past weekend strawberryJAM performed as a part of the South By Southwest Music Festival in Austin. The annual festival features hundreds of bands from all over the world performing in venues across Austin. strawberryJAM played to a full house at Xfoos on Sixth Street as a part of Psych-Fest, a showcase by Live Music Capitol for the “garage psych cult of sound.”

The group is also preparing for various upcoming shows in Austin, four of which will be at Ace’s Lounge, a Sixth Street venue. The guys earned this gig by competing in the Waka Winter Classic, a festival put on by the annual Wakarusa music festival. Through participation in the competition, strawberryJAM secured four dates at Ace’s, with the first this Friday, March 26 as well as April 22, May 6 and 20.

The guys will be heading into the studio again in the beginning of the summer to continue recording their first full-length album. They’ll be recording at The Zone Studio in Austin, and joined by Pat Manske who serves as their sound engineer. The album should be available in the fall.

The band will promote the album during its first tour – a 10-day trip across Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas – beginning June 30. strawberryJAM will tour with The Flatland Travelers, an Oklahoma-based blues-rock jam band.

StrawberryJAM will also explore new territory this spring with the premiere broadcast on its own Internet radio station. The station, strawberryJAMnation, hosted by Local Live Media, will debut this spring and feature music from bands strawberryJAM has performed with as well as other music the guys are interested in. The show will be available for download and streaming and will broadcast twice weekly.

Yes, the men of strawberryJAM are certainly keeping busy. But they haven’t forgotten about their fans here – they’ll be playing in College Station in April for Parents’ Weekend, and again in Bryan for the First Friday event in May. They’ll be providing buses to take fans from College Station and Houston to their show at Ace’s tonight. The buses will leave College Station and Houston at 6 p.m. on the day of the show. For more information on their tour schedule, shows and bus trip to Austin visit strawberryJAM’s Facebook page. - The Battalion


"Thank You Aggieland"

We’ll be performing our last big show of the year on December 4th at Revolution and this will be my last article writing for Maroon Weekly as I prepare to move to Austin after graduation. I thought it appropriate to finally write about the organization that has made my college experience.

In the summer of 2008 I got a call from James Bobal telling me about a jam-band he had been playing with in College Station. Bobal, an avid, no, obsessive Phish fan, had done his fair share playing guitar in the College Station country circuit and I was happy to know he had finally found a band to satisfy his unflagging love for jamming.

Shortly thereafter I was invited to join them on stage for a Sunday session at Revolution Café & Bar in downtown Bryan. I had performed a few times a Revolution but never with a band that fit the ambiance, so I was excited to give the stage by the train tracks another shot with a different sound.

At that time no name had officially been adopted to the group and the stage was pretty open to anyone who wanted to add an instrument. In early days there were 13 people associated with the ensemble and the chaos that ensued created a unique energy of free-funk improvisation.

There were no rules, no structure, and songs could last 30 minutes.

I had spent the previous year in Barcelona, Spain singing at open-mic nights and playing with an improvisational blues band. My first two years at A&M had been pretty lack-luster artistically, so getting this invitation from Bobal couldn’t have come at a more appropriate time as I prepared to re-assimilate into Aggie life.

I remember being in the car with Bobal as he told JAM keyboard and saxophone player Zack Morgan that I was going to come to that Sunday’s jam session.

“What do you mean, he’s just going to make words up” I heard Morgan ask on the other line.

My initial role as a vocalist was not to be a front man or lyricist, but just like another instrument, to add a new texture to the soundscape. That Sunday night I watched them start the concert, getting a feel for the sound, and then Bobal called me on stage and my strawberryJAM journey began.

From the summer of 2008 we would continue to play fully improvisational concerts and Sunday and Thursday jam sessions soon turned into Friday night headlining shows. People we didn’t know or recognize were showing up at our performances and we were even making a little money. Not only had I finally found an Aggie organization where I fit in, but some of my musical dreams were also becoming realities.

For a year we stuck with the improvisational format. We got a kick out telling people that we were just bullshitin’ up there and it fit in with our academic work load to never have to practice. After a while, however, we began to realize that maybe we had worn out the bullshit format.

In the summer of 2009 most of the strawberryJAMers would travel around to summer festivals like Bonaroo and Wakarusa and from seeing such an array of serious bands that fit into the jam genre we began to realize that maybe it was time to reconsider our approach on shows. I got a call from Morgan over the summer expressing this sentiment.

“You know, our audience takes us a lot more serious than we take ourselves,” he said.

He was right. We had stuck to a custom of not lifting a finger for performances. Showing up with no idea of what we would do and just seeing where it would take us. In the summer of 2009 we began to see that although this approach was artistically adventurous we were not actually reaching our full creative potential by just jamming.

As I wrote in a previous article, improvisation is the cradle of creativity. It’s where you search your mind for new ideas and bring them out of the unconscious, but if you pull them out and just leave them in their raw form then all you really have is an immature idea. Improvisation is crucial and pure, but it’s not the end of growth, simply the seed.

Over this last summer we had our first practices and they felt as natural as our first jam sessions. We had spent a full year getting to know each other and learning how to handle our chemistry as musicians, so by the time we started structuring it came easy and we all saw how we would individually make the arranged material work while not negating our improvisational roots.

Over a four-day weekend in September we went to Austin for our first recording session that produced The Recession EP. It was an exciting and poignant time to spend with Matt Bongirno, Logan Dance, Derik Kendal, James Bobal and Zack Morgan. We had been through a lot over the last year and we were finally producing our first musical product.

Just as naturally as the other phases had taken place we were proud to bring songs, some of which had originated in jam sessions, into the studio and record them live during four days of hard work. As a musician, it felt a bit like growing up, but in a good way.

Personally, and on b - Maroon Weekly


"I'll have my JAM with no toast, please"

Music in its own right can be moving. Often, during the song writing process, bands have been known to “jam it out” hoping to find a common thread that will resonate and eventually lead to a full track. Sometimes those tracks don’t lead to anything and other times those tracks lead to chart topping record sales, platinum plaques and gaudy homes. However, the underlying message is that the art of ‘jamming’ is a way for people to connect with each other on an emotional level without looking at each other, without knowing what the other is going to do next, and most impressively without words. When you let the music happen often times the rest of the pieces of the puzzle fall into place. This seems to be the case with College Station’s own, strawberryJAM.

The band known as, strawberryJAM, started as an impromptu jam session at the Barefoot Art Guild in College Station, TX. The lineup grew from there, bringing together musicians from different corners of campus to play in this 6 person force of nature. The band consists of Andrew Bennett on vocals and guitar, Zack Morgan on keys, guitar, sax, flute, and synthesizer, James Bobal on guitar and vocals, Matt Bongirno on drums, Logan Dance on bass, and Derik Kendall on violin. In spring of 2008, strawberryJAM started as an all improvisation group with 9 members that played shows with absolutely no written material, only songs they had created there on the spot. Then, in the summer of 2009, the band finalized their lineup and started to package jams into song form. Since then, the band has been making a name for their selves and not looking back.

In December of 2009, strawberryJAM was featured in Austin’s InSite magazine for their debut release of The Recession EP. Noted as a, “band that tickles the line of bringing their live energy through your speakers,” the list of accreditations does not stop there. With songs such as “Without a Warrant” as well as “Stone Angel” it is easy to see why the quiet whispers about strawberryJAM have evolved into loud chatter. “Without a Warrant” paints a vivid picture of what some may go through with the controversial marijuana laws. From conflict to ridiculous resolution, we are taken from the street and left “sleeping on our concrete bed, with a milk carton under my head”. The moral of this story, there are no natural laws such that we have in our society. With music that makes your soul feel good and words that make your mind grow bold, strawberryJAM has gained a new fan for sure.

Recently, the guys of strawberryJAM announced they will be relocating to Austin, Texas. With the guys recording their first full-length album, launching their own Internet radio station and a 10-day summer tour, it’s easy to say that strawberryJAM has a mouthful. Even after SXSW this past March, the band shows now signs of slowing down their pace. From College Station to New Mexico, be on the look out for strawberryJAM and their army of followers at a college, music festival, or private party near you! - Urban Advocate


"I'll have my JAM with no toast, please"

Music in its own right can be moving. Often, during the song writing process, bands have been known to “jam it out” hoping to find a common thread that will resonate and eventually lead to a full track. Sometimes those tracks don’t lead to anything and other times those tracks lead to chart topping record sales, platinum plaques and gaudy homes. However, the underlying message is that the art of ‘jamming’ is a way for people to connect with each other on an emotional level without looking at each other, without knowing what the other is going to do next, and most impressively without words. When you let the music happen often times the rest of the pieces of the puzzle fall into place. This seems to be the case with College Station’s own, strawberryJAM.

The band known as, strawberryJAM, started as an impromptu jam session at the Barefoot Art Guild in College Station, TX. The lineup grew from there, bringing together musicians from different corners of campus to play in this 6 person force of nature. The band consists of Andrew Bennett on vocals and guitar, Zack Morgan on keys, guitar, sax, flute, and synthesizer, James Bobal on guitar and vocals, Matt Bongirno on drums, Logan Dance on bass, and Derik Kendall on violin. In spring of 2008, strawberryJAM started as an all improvisation group with 9 members that played shows with absolutely no written material, only songs they had created there on the spot. Then, in the summer of 2009, the band finalized their lineup and started to package jams into song form. Since then, the band has been making a name for their selves and not looking back.

In December of 2009, strawberryJAM was featured in Austin’s InSite magazine for their debut release of The Recession EP. Noted as a, “band that tickles the line of bringing their live energy through your speakers,” the list of accreditations does not stop there. With songs such as “Without a Warrant” as well as “Stone Angel” it is easy to see why the quiet whispers about strawberryJAM have evolved into loud chatter. “Without a Warrant” paints a vivid picture of what some may go through with the controversial marijuana laws. From conflict to ridiculous resolution, we are taken from the street and left “sleeping on our concrete bed, with a milk carton under my head”. The moral of this story, there are no natural laws such that we have in our society. With music that makes your soul feel good and words that make your mind grow bold, strawberryJAM has gained a new fan for sure.

Recently, the guys of strawberryJAM announced they will be relocating to Austin, Texas. With the guys recording their first full-length album, launching their own Internet radio station and a 10-day summer tour, it’s easy to say that strawberryJAM has a mouthful. Even after SXSW this past March, the band shows now signs of slowing down their pace. From College Station to New Mexico, be on the look out for strawberryJAM and their army of followers at a college, music festival, or private party near you! - Urban Advocate


"Still Spreading the JAM"

strawberryJAM is currently in the process of finishing their first full length album. It is being recorded at The Zone Studio and engineered by Pat Manske and set to be released this Fall. Can't wait? The have their own internet radio station, strawberryJAMnation hosted by Local Live Media. The station will feature bands they have played with and other music they love. Don't miss them on tour this summer with The Flatland Travelers, a bluesy jam band from Oklahoma.

Need to get your JAM fix now? They have their first show at Aces Lounge in Austin this Friday, March 26th with DJ Slick Kid. They have one bus from Houston and one bus from College Station take fans to Austin for our debut Friday night performance on 6th Street. The other dates to JAM at Aces Lounge are 4/22, 5/6, and 5/20. To get on the bus call James at 713-829-9644.
- Maroon Weekly


"strawberryJAM 4-9-11"

Hungry for some rock n’ roll? Have some Strawberry Jam! I did, Saturday night at Antone’s, the renowned club that’s boasted legends such as Stevie Ray Vaughan and Muddy Waters—Antone’s hosted Austin rock band strawberryJAM’s CD release party. Along with bluesy opening act iMBiBE, they gave a kick-ass show filled with danceable jams, catchy lyrics and covers just as solid as their original songs.

At first glance the guys of iMBiBE may look like your college buddies, but they are anything but ordinary! Their funky blues songs, played by the trio behind burning incense, had all the elements of the music I like to listen to. Lowell Carrico’s vocals were those of a practiced, mature voice, along with flawless and impressive electric guitar. But his expertise was matched by both the bass player and drummer, who had an equally complex but not overbearing technique. Listen to their song “Ashes to Dust” and you’ll know what I’m talking about—the jam is married perfectly with the blues for some darn good listenin’.

strawberryJAM’s Zack Morgan joined iMBiBE onstage to play keys for a couple of songs before his band hit the stage. sJAM brought on the heat. The band is comprised of six musicians covering guitar, bass, keys, sax, violin, drums and mandolin. They opened with “Stone Angel,” a song filled with organ-style keys, singer Andrew Bennet’s falsetto and a soulful style-- “She looks so innocent but looks so threatening.”

Although their name makes them sound like they are a jam band, strawberryJAM is more structured rock with psychedelic and even pop elements. The band began as a jam band with a free-form format in which any one could play before they evolved into the group they are today. Their song “Wasting time” sounds like Phoenix. The original songs the band played Saturday were diverse and well-written. One of my favorites was their reggae jam “Without a Warrant.” The highlight of the set for me, however, was the remarkable cover of The Allman Brother’s “Jessica”-- a crazy complicated composition that they rocked! Carrico joined them onstage for that one to play acoustic guitar. Local rapper/songwriter Kydd joined them onstage for another song. sJAM also did a cover of the Grateful Dead boogie “Shakedown Street”, much to my enjoyment. Slide on over to their website for music and upcoming shows.

By: Sophie Block - Live Music Capitol Radio


"Another JAM Session"

Saturday, one of College Station's own bands will be returning home.
Known for live shows filled with energy, strawberryJAM will play at 9 p.m. Saturday at Schotzi's on Northgate. With an album to be released in March, the band members said they are excited to return to the place where they got their start.
"Our roots are in College Station, and a lot of friends are still there," said guitarist and keyboard player James Bobal, class of 2009. "The music scene is thriving ... and we want to be as supportive [of it] as possible."
The band has since relocated to Austin, where they have been working to make a name for themselves. While the members do have day jobs — guitarist, keyboardist and sax player Zach Morgan works for the popular college website myEdu.com — they have also been looking for ways expand their band's business.
Whether providing live music for rap groups or playing shows around the Austin area to grow their fan base, strawberryJAM has been hard at work learning the ropes of the music industry.
"We are completely self-funded with no label support," Bobal said. "We have been learning a lot about the mechanics of a working band and how to keep the business afloat throughout the year."
For the members of strawberryJAM, it has been an interesting evolution from a patio jam band of ever-fluctuating size to a current band of six about to release its second recording.
"We formed because there were a bunch of us playing in various bands and we all felt kind of trapped," Morgan said. "We would have open jams every Sunday with the amount of people growing on the stage."
An eclectic combination of instruments, including violin, saxophone, drums and guitar, matches the wide range of influences the band cites. From Phish to Led Zeppelin, strawberryJAM does not limit itself to a single specific genre. As a consequence, Morgan said he feels the band is approachable to all sorts of music fans.
"We are playing music that the average listener can listen along to and appreciate," he said. "But at the same time, if a musician were to listen to it, they'd realize the musicality and technical aspects of our songs."
But what the members of the band said they really love, and what they have developed a strong reputation for, is playing concerts.
"Our live shows are a big factor as to how we developed our following," Morgan said. "We make sure that when we play, we bring the party with us. We play loud; we get people dancing."
Long-time friend of the band and senior environmental geosciences major Melanie Thornton confirmed Morgan's words.
"I feel that they have a high energy performance," she said. "It's not a typical College Station musical experience; it provides a different atmosphere."
Thornton said that most people at the show are looking to have a great time and thus every concert has a special social atmosphere.
Concerts feature the unique skills and tastes of each members of the band. Combining both original songs and covers of other popular hits, the band plays a range of music that usually leads to a high-energy show.
"The energy at our shows is unmatched by a lot of bands out there right now," Morgan said.
Perhaps one of the most novel developments of the band is the means by which they help their fans get to shows. strawberryJAM sets up a bus to bring fans from one city to shows being played elsewhere.
Morgan said it was a way to keep the fans connected with the band.
"We decided to keep playing together after school because ... we want to keep spreading the JAM across Texas and the U.S," he said, as to why the band has decided to make the transition to be a full commitment for its members.
On Saturday, strawberryJAM will be bringing its high-energy show back to where it started, and its members and fans are excited for the JAM to once again take the stage. - The Battalion


"Jammin' It"

Members of the band Strawberry Jam, senior agricultural economics major Zack Morgan, senior finance major Grant Pittman, senior communications major Miles Armstrong, sophomore music major Derik Kendall, senior music major Mitch Curtis and senior history major Andrew Bennett perform Wednesday afternoon by Rudder Fountain. Wednesday was Earth Day and Rudder Plaza was full of related events and activities.
- The Battalion


"StrawberryJAM making it up as it goes"

The musicians of StrawberryJAM don't know exactly what they're going to do when they go up on stage for a performance.

Virtually everything you hear is created on the spot, as it will be when the group takes the stage at Stafford Main Street in Bryan at 8 p.m. Saturday for a benefit show for Camp Kesem, a camp that provides fun activities for children who have a parent battling cancer. Tickets are $5.

The eight-person collective, as members describe it, consists of Mitch Curtis on bass, James Bobal on guitar and mandolin, Zack Morgan, who plays saxophone, guitar, piano and synthesizer, Grant Pittman on guitar and synthesizer, drummer Miles Armstrong, Andrew Bennett on vocals and guitar, violinist Derik Kendall and drummer Matt Bongirno.

Members of the group improvise songs, sometimes based on standards they know, at each performance, creating unique new pieces in a variety of combinations. At a typical performance, you're likely to see a different combination of musicians up on stage for every song of a three-hour set.

"With the structure of the band, we interchange on stage a lot," Bennett said. "Sometimes there's just three of us up there, then everyone for the next song, then back down to just a couple. It's very free-form, based in the jazz roots of improvisation. Most of the stuff is made up on the spot. We do some covers, when someone will say, 'Hey, learn this cover.' But even that's just a starting point."

Bobal and Bennett said that the improvisational nature of their performances can be difficult, even for the accomplished musicians in the band.

"It's challenging. Everyone's been behind the wheel, doing music for at least 10 years," Bobal said. "Half of the band is studying music, and the other members have all been playing in bands."

The newly created songs don't even get named unless they're being recorded and uploaded to the band's Web site (www.myspace .com/strawberry jamsforyou). The band records many of its performances, though it has yet to record a studio album, in part because of a lack of funds, Bobal said.

"If people recorded all of our shows, we'd have more songs now than The Beatles," Bobal said. "We can't wait to record an album and have that professional production element. We're just looking for any kind of support we can get for that."

Austin-based visual artist James Browning also frequently performs with the band. Browning projects images during the performance to add a visual element to the shows, Bennett said.

"He's a visual artist who takes video and projects it at different speeds and matches the vibe that we're playing onto the stage," Bennett said. "It's sort of a thing where we're in the frame."

It all started with a few impromptu sessions at local art shows that eventually grew into something larger, Bobal said.

"A few of us knew each other and started playing at Barefoot Art Guild, some friends of ours who put on art shows," Bobal said. "They really liked us, and pretty soon we booked a show at Zapatos. We picked up other musicians from some other bands that we had been part of -- Andrew [Bennett] joined us as lead singer and we picked up [drummer] Miles [Armstrong]. By the start of school [last fall], we had an eight-piece collective."

All the members of the group are Aggies and live here in town -- for now. Bobal and Bennett said they hope the group can stay in the area and stay together, a prospect that might be difficult as members graduate and look for work.

"People get pulled away from the area at some point. But we're trying to make this work," Bobal said.

Bobal said he'll be happy as long as the band keeps trying to be creative and new.

"This is the goal: to make music. By not setting boundaries, we can achieve things not seen before, new song structures," Bobal said. - The Eagle


"Like your favorite sandwich spread,Strawberry Jam adds flavor to local music"

The College Station-based, Aggie-populated jam band Strawberry Jam plans to record an album in the fall. The guys in the band reference music groups Phish, Led Zeppelin, Mideski and Herbie Hancock as some of their influences.

Strawberry Jam emerged in January 2008, and was officially formed in April the same year. Vocalist Andrew Bennett, bassist Evan Tate and guitarist James Bobal played music together as freshmen at Texas A&M University. While Bennett studied abroad during his sophomore year, Bobal met multi-instrumentalist Zack Morgan and drummer Matt Bongirno.

The band's style is based around jamming, and each individual plays multiple instruments. Strawberry Jam began as a jam band; the whole idea was to, as senior history major Bennett put it, "just show up and throw down."

One of the things Strawberry Jam tries to provide through their music is an escape. "With the economy and everything going on, we want to give people an avenue of escape. We want to escape the doldrums of regular bands and do something different - from inception to creation to production," said Bobal, Class of 2009.

However, the members' ideas about music have been changing. About a month ago, the guys started putting more effort into the band. Senior agricultural economics major Morgan recounted a revelation he had at a music festival in the Ozarks. When he saw that bands there put so much work into the music, he was inspired to take Strawberry Jam more seriously.

Class of 2008 Bongirno said that it takes time for a band to develop a sound and style, and for the members to get to know each other, musically and personally.

"We've figured out where we need to go, and now we're starting to go there," the drummer said.

Strawberry Jam plays at least one show a week in the Bryan and College Station area, but they also do shows in Austin and Houston. No two shows are the same for this band. They play covers or originals, bring in guest performers, encourage audience participation, and sometimes structure shows around a theme.

With the new attitude, the band members have been striving to play more accurate renditions of cover songs. Instead of throwing bits of a cover into a jam session, they will play a cover and designate a segment within it for jamming. The shows go with the flow of the crowd though, and they leave plenty of breathing room to improvise. For example, the band might ask someone in the crowd to shout out a key signature, and then they will jam in that key on the spot.

"If we didn't have an audience, we wouldn't know what to play. The audience inspires us to play what we play; we are making art in front of people, for people. They are our inspiration, and it's refreshing that we can do that for people, and it's refreshing for us that they come back for more," Morgan said.

Since the jamming allows for longer performances many of the shows last up to four hours.

"The entire point of art is to look for the next step - combining ideas together, trying to find something new," said Tate, a graduate accouting student. "Strawberry Jam aims to present art that is relevant to people in an intangible way. Each of us, especially with improvisation, is looking to explore new methods or genres of art."

The band will begin recording a full-length album in the fall and finish by December. It should be released by spring. They do not have a title or a set number of tracks for the album, but most of its songs will be composed, with specific sections for jamming. Each member has been in the studio individually, but they have not recorded together as Strawberry Jam.

"When it comes to albums, you want to have chosen every note - each one should have a purpose. Personally, I hate the studio - it can take the joy out of what the band began as, because you want recordings to be a perfect representation of what the band is, and that can be hard and tedious," Tate said.

Studio recording will create a challenge for the group.

"You have to put something solid down, so the music is more sterile in the studio than in live shows; you're like a scientist in a laboratory," Bongirno said. "I never like to play a song the same exact way twice."

The band remains true to their style of improvisation and experimentation.

"The cradle of art is the exploration of the mysterious - we challenge ourselves to play stuff that's different than we thought we could, and we bring the audience with us. We want our songs to be appreciated by musicians, and accessible to nonmusicians. Each of our original songs has some sort of interesting musical technicality," Bennett said. - The Battalion


"The Recession EP"

"So what're we doin' tonight?"

"I don't know, man. Jam?"

And in those two lines, snagged from their own fourth track "Stoned Angel," strawberryJAM's philosophy on life and music is summed up. The music itself, however, is another story.

A self-described electro/fusion jam band, strawberryJAM is the band that everyone who's ever played an instrument has wanted to be in at one point in time or another: a conglomeration of talent, passion, a complete lack of pretentiousness and a sincere belief that anything goes and there are no rules to rocking out.

And rocking out, or rather, jamming out, they do.

Packaging a mood or a stage presence in a recording is incredibly difficult, especially in a jam band like this where performances are based on improv, but The Recession EP comes dangerously close. Not only does it do an excellent job of spotlighting and rotating through each band member's particular talents (powerfully, poignant violin, screaming guitar, snappy drums, achingly, playful vocals, sensational keys, and more), but the timing on each track is stellar and the instrumental breaks, which in a lesser band could prove tedious, add to the organic, fresh feeling and hint at future spontaneity. This EP sounds like on Paul Simon might produce just after escaping being trapped in a small room with Grimy Styles for 6 months. But the band seems to shrug, the rules of improv dictate that the next one they record probably won't.

With only four tracks, this bite-sized amount of JAM won't break anyone's budget, makes the perfect stocking stuffer, and goes great with Christmas breakfast. - Austin INsite


"Speaking freely and giving back"

Members from the band Strawberry Jam perform Monday afternoon in Rudder Plaza during the Association for Social Entrepreneurship's "Free Speech Done Right" movement. People were encouraged to write on a board what free speech means to them and to bring canned goods to donate to the community.

... visit http://media.www.thebatt.com/media/storage/paper657/news/2008/11/04/News/Speaking.Freely.And.Giving.Back-3522898.shtml .... to see the picture attached to this statement. - The Battalion


"Without a Warrant"

strawberryJAM is great funky sounding band from the heart of conservative Texas. They have taken their talent with music and used it to address issues they feel strongly about. And, since the song “Without A Warrant” ended up here on the NORML Daily Audio Stash Groovin’ Thursday, you can bet one of the causes this band backs is Marijuana reform. The song lyrics to the song “Without a Warrant” open with a simple yet strong statement, “Wrists locked up behind my back, because the man says it’s an illegal act.” The statement brings into question the basic rebel in us all. Who says we cant get stoned? (Or, maybe that was just the new John Mayer song echoing in my head.) And, continues on to say “Why don’t we answer to God?” It’s also not too surprising that a music act from the heart of conservative Texas would have strong faith. The band believes Marijuana was put here by our creator to use for textiles, medicine, and recreation.

The lyrics in the song that read “In a cell with a killer and a thief” ring strong with me. While I spent a few weeks in jail for my Marijuana related raid and arrest in 2007. I spent time with a man who tried to burn his house down with his girlfriend and her child in it. Luckily they made it out. But, that house and the house next to it weren’t so fortunate. This ‘prison transfer’ being housed in the same jail as me proudly displayed this act with a tattoo on his arm, and was none too shy about telling the story. I couldn’t fathom the justification for being in the same room with him then, and I still can’t believe the situation with many “stoners” and “patients” across America happens still today.

Enjoy strawberryJam “Without a Warrant” and think about the great lyrics and message you are hearing. And, in the words of James from the band, “The world is toast, we’re just spreading the JAM”. JDR is glad to help be a butter knife! - NORML Daily Audio Stash


"Fresh Local Produce"

Living in College Station, a university town with thousands of students, one would expect a healthy music scene. Yet, it seems at times difficult to find good live music. This may be due to the overarching cultural preference amongst many towards country music here in Aggieland, but an insurgency of musical and artistic creativity does exist. Venues such as Revolution in downtown Bryan attract and promote musical acts that make the live music scene thankfully more fresh and diverse. A frequent and ever-changing musical act assembles under the name of Strawberry Jam to provide such needed contrast. Strawberry Jam successfully fuses music, imagery, and culture to deliver a multi-faceted show that is difficult not to appreciate.


The band’s shows are entirely improvised; not the set list, but the actual music itself. Essentially, Strawberry Jam could be called a “jam band,” but that description would be a gross simplification. The number of band members, numerous instruments, and array of influences constitute a unified whole within which individual ensembles progress. The band is made up of 8 members, however, not all will be playing at the same time. In any one song the band may shift from heavy guitars to a jazz trio to a drum solo to an electronica beat coupled with echoing vocals. Watching them play one might think a digression into chaos was imminent, but this never occurs and even the most varied parts of a song retain a collective intention that always comes through with unity and structure.


Andrew Bennett, the band’s singer, commented that “the band as a whole sounds great, but it is the dissection of the sound into distinct units that is the most intriguing aspect.” Asked to describe the reason for improvisation during the shows Bennett said, “We are all in this band because of the intrigue, the mystery. The creative possibilities during a show are an unknown.” This is one of the central appeals of Strawberry Jam and what allows them to play so many shows. The band does not play a certain set of songs, and every night they play it is a different show. This ensures that the band and the audience never know what to expect. Bennett describes their shows as progressing much like “fast moving water with different currents flowing beneath the surface. If at times the sound seems to sink it will eventually resurface.”


Strawberry Jam plays a majority of their shows at Revolution, but can be found at Stafford and Schotzi’s, as well. Bennett expressed that the layout of Revolution is more conducive to the close proximity between band and audience that they prefer. Asked if the railroad tracks being 100 yards away from the outdoor stage affected the band’s concentration, Bennett explained that, “the train is simply part of the music. It serves as a lyrical boost and has a certain ‘Romantic’ aspect about it.” Strawberry attracts a legitimate crowd whenever they play with attendance usually far exceeding 100 people. The imagery projected onto the wall behind the band at Revolution, the incense burning on stage, and the dancing often taking place makes for a seemingly free, if not interesting situation. A Strawberry Jam is slightly more than the music being played; it is also an atmosphere.


The specific genre or classification of Strawberry Jam is difficult to pin down. Bennett said “acid funk jazz” was an appropriate description. Asked about collective influences that the band draws from, he said, “If the Grateful Dead and Phish threw a party with The Mars Volta and Led Zeppelin the fight breaking out between them would be Strawberry Jam.” Certainly, a group of musicians influenced by such an array of past talent would be promising. But, it is the talent of the individual band members that make Strawberry Jam’s influences come forth positively. The individual talent within the band has a depth that most acts lack. Many of the band members have solo or side projects outside of Strawberry Jam. Thus, any one of them could write and play music on their own and this accounts for the unlimited creative capacity through improvisation that they display as a whole.


Bennett expressed that there are many good musicians in College Station, but that finding people to play with can be difficult. He said the members of Strawberry Jam feel privileged to be playing together and that he foresees them continuing to do so into the future. Considering that every song played at their shows is written on-the-spot the idea of doing a recording would almost be contradictory to the essence of the band. When asked about such a possibility Bennett explained, “A recording would really take away the element of surprise and a live DVD would more accurately capture what the band is about.” When asked if such a production were likely Bennett said the band was currently exploring the possibility of a DVD. Strawberry Jam consists of:


Zack Morgan: saxophone, guitar, piano, - The Cornerstone Review


"strawberryJAM v. the Man"

by Brice Nichols

Local artists strawberryJAM completely drop the ambiguity with their newly recorded song “Without a Warrant,” clearly spelling out their beliefs on the legalization of that wacky little weed called marijuana. An organ laced reggae tune complete with a fist pumping chorus, it’s hard to deny the pop snags of this track, regardless of where you stand on the legalization debate.

That’s right folks, you will be suckered into liking one of the most blatantly honest pro-marijuana songs I’ve heard in a while and you won’t even know what happened to yourself.

As soon as the funky reggae rhythm kicks in, your brain activates and says, “Hello this is your brain, and chances are this reggae themed song deals with shrouded concepts of marijuana consumption and/or regulation. I’ll do my best to dissect the vague allusions and find the overall message that’s being sent by the artist.” Mere moments into the song your brain will look at you amusingly, raising its brainy eyebrow while saying, “You got this? I’m pretty sure you don’t need my help with this one; this guy here is singing about weed. It’s, well, it’s pretty obvious.”

It is pretty obvious and maybe that’s exactly what makes the song so good. It’s automatic and catchy, direct in a way that is entirely refreshing. If you’re looking to write a song that pushes against accepted norms, honestly tackling the issue in a hopeful tone is the way to go. “Without a Warrant” is constructed of verses fighting legal and societal backlashes against marijuana, tied together by the highly singable chorus that brings the authoritative and logical claims against marijuana use into perspective.

Full of impressive musicianship, “Without a Warrant” only takes a few seconds to get your toe tapping, maybe even without your permission. However, if you do listen to this song, be vigilant: pro-weed music is a gateway into even harder political music. If you find yourself suddenly drawn to bands with increasing amounts of anti-government or anti-war sentiment, cease all auditory interaction with your music and locate your nearest smooth jazz album immediately. Otherwise, keep Jammin’.

“Without a Warrant” can be heard online at strawberryJAM’s website: http://www.myspace.com/strawberryjamsforyou
The JAM will be performing October 23 at Revolution and November 13 at Fitzwilly’s. - Maroon Weekly


"strawberryJAM v. the Man"

by Brice Nichols

Local artists strawberryJAM completely drop the ambiguity with their newly recorded song “Without a Warrant,” clearly spelling out their beliefs on the legalization of that wacky little weed called marijuana. An organ laced reggae tune complete with a fist pumping chorus, it’s hard to deny the pop snags of this track, regardless of where you stand on the legalization debate.

That’s right folks, you will be suckered into liking one of the most blatantly honest pro-marijuana songs I’ve heard in a while and you won’t even know what happened to yourself.

As soon as the funky reggae rhythm kicks in, your brain activates and says, “Hello this is your brain, and chances are this reggae themed song deals with shrouded concepts of marijuana consumption and/or regulation. I’ll do my best to dissect the vague allusions and find the overall message that’s being sent by the artist.” Mere moments into the song your brain will look at you amusingly, raising its brainy eyebrow while saying, “You got this? I’m pretty sure you don’t need my help with this one; this guy here is singing about weed. It’s, well, it’s pretty obvious.”

It is pretty obvious and maybe that’s exactly what makes the song so good. It’s automatic and catchy, direct in a way that is entirely refreshing. If you’re looking to write a song that pushes against accepted norms, honestly tackling the issue in a hopeful tone is the way to go. “Without a Warrant” is constructed of verses fighting legal and societal backlashes against marijuana, tied together by the highly singable chorus that brings the authoritative and logical claims against marijuana use into perspective.

Full of impressive musicianship, “Without a Warrant” only takes a few seconds to get your toe tapping, maybe even without your permission. However, if you do listen to this song, be vigilant: pro-weed music is a gateway into even harder political music. If you find yourself suddenly drawn to bands with increasing amounts of anti-government or anti-war sentiment, cease all auditory interaction with your music and locate your nearest smooth jazz album immediately. Otherwise, keep Jammin’.

“Without a Warrant” can be heard online at strawberryJAM’s website: http://www.myspace.com/strawberryjamsforyou
The JAM will be performing October 23 at Revolution and November 13 at Fitzwilly’s. - Maroon Weekly


Discography

strawberryJAM (2011) - 14 tracks on our debut full length album

The Recession EP (2009) - a 4 track EP full of, "Powerfully, poignant violin, screaming guitar, snappy drums, achingly, playful vocals, sensational keys, and more." Rebekah Turmel, InSite Austin Magazine

Photos

Bio

For booking shoot an email to booking@strawberryJAMsforyou.com

strawberryJAM began as an impromptu jam-session in April of 2008 at the Barefoot Art Guild in College Station, TX. The lineup grew from there, bringing together musicians from the Texas A&M campus. "When we first started out, there was no practice, no set-list, and no membership. Whoever wanted to get on stage just jumped on, sometimes 13 people at one time, and the jam would go for hours." The free-form performances taught the group how to improvise together and they continued to gain local popularity for high-energy, unpredictable performances.

In 2009 sJAM began writing structured material together, some of which would be recorded for their demo, The Recession EP. While still holding on to their improvisational roots, the new direction gave the group a fresh challenge and set the stage for their debut, full-length album that would be release two years later. During this period sJAM also began building an impressive repertoire of cover songs that they used to market themselves to Greek organizations all over Texas, which in turn allowed them to fund their studio time. Cover songs continue to be an exciting live feature for sJAM fans, as the catalog spans across all genres and eras.

In the summer of 2010, strawberryJAM moved to Austin, TX where they currently reside. While performing weekly all over Texas, sJAM has opened for such notable acts as Girl Talk, Bob Schneider, and Black Oak Arkansas. In April of 2011, sJAM released their 14-track, self-titled debut. The album was recorded at The Zone Studios in Dripping Springs, TX with Pat Manske (Los Lonely Boys, Dixie Chicks, Joe Ely). The album strawberryJAM is available on iTunes worldwide.

"The world is toast, and were just spreadin the JAM"

Band Members