For Beginners

Beginners, don't hesitate to ask musicians for advice and technical help.  They're usually pretty open to ushering new people into the genre.  However, do keep in mind that musicians are often poor and if you're asking for the help of a professional they will most likely want to charge you.  I recommend working with someone who has been a practicing musician for awhile but is new to JAZZ.  They'll be less of a power dynamic and they're more likely to practice and help you for free.  However, paying a professional will get you there faster and they'll be more committed to working with you.  So keep these two options in mind.  There is also programs at community colleges and places like Community Music Center in San Francisco.  It's important to network with musicians that you know.  Many of them have their own back story from when they were a beginner and they can give you resources for someone at your level.  All of this takes time, patience, and a whole lot of heart and tenacity.  Good luck.

One thing to note about Jam Sessions...

The jazz community in San Francisco is a very small, tight knit group.  Based upon my experiences as someone who is new to this genre, it takes time to gain respect from other musicians because many of these people have been creating music all of their lives and many have been in jazz for ten years or more.  Most professional jazz musicians seem to be between the ages of 30 and 60 years old simply because it takes so long to hone enough improvisational skill to perform.  As a beginner, I warn you that it isn't something you can just fall into without a certain amount of training like rock and roll for example.  I mess around a lot at jam sessions but it isn't something I recommend for everyone.  Jazz jam sessions can sometimes be a very stressful environment for beginners and can lead to burn out and discouragement.  Always come prepared to a jam session especially if you're a vocalist.  Vocalists always need to know what key they're tune is, the tempo of their tune, and have transposed lead sheets in their key.  The instrumentalists will groan if you do not have these things.  Usually, they're pretty polite especially if they know you're a rookie like me, but it is still annoying to deal with.  DO NOT rely on the musicians to transpose your lead sheets on the spot.  All of them have different abilities, do not assume that they'll be somebody there to figure out your key or your lead sheets.  However, if you do come unprepared, most of the time from what I've seen, there is usually someone who can transpose but don't make a habit of this.  I have done this and it gets old pretty fast. 

Jam sessions are meant to create a space for any musician regardless of their abilities to play with other musicians in a free form fashion and they are also excellent events to network and gain infomation, but it is a human construct therefore it isn't a perfect system.  It is important to gain a certain amount of knowledge before flinging yourself into jam session after jam session.  These jams are meant to be fun but take it easy as a newcomer.  Jam sessions are good for experimentation and gaining some performance skills within a band setting but it's even more important to practice on your own or within a teacher-student setting.  The latter will help you hone your skills internally and then they will in time exude themselves externally.  I'm not saying beginners should avoid jam sessions.  I'm just saying we need to be patient and earn our stripes first.  I learned this the hard way, but I'm glad I learned it at all.