Picture the scene: it’s Wednesday night, you’ve had a busy day of lectures, of trying to decode what your supervisor means by “okay, and?” in your essay feedback, and you’re looking for a way to unwind. Where do you turn? Perhaps to Netflix, so you can get invested in a zany TV show which is sure to be hugely popular, before inevitably being cancelled after its first season? Or maybe you head to your local for a “quiet one” (or ten) with your friends? Whatever your usual preference, might I be so bold as to suggest a new pastime? One by the name of … jazz.

If you had told me five years ago that my idea of a Wednesday night well-spent was getting my friends together, taking the treacherous bus journey from Homerton into town, and going to see students play jazz, I would have laughed in your face. Back then, jazz was only good for one thing: ‘lo-fi radio for study’ videos on YouTube, with an animated cafe and soft instrumentals playing on a loop for hours. But now, as a student who is arguably no more musically literate than when I was 15, I have a new-found appreciation for the genre, and for what it means to my friends and I.

“When JazzSoc say ‘open jam’, they really do mean open”

If you are unfamiliar, JazzSoc holds regular (usually fortnightly) gig nights at Hidden Rooms, a low-ceilinged bar with couches upholstered with the type of leather you only get at venues that hold jazz events. The night is usually split in two, with an already-formed band playing a rehearsed set in the first half, and an ‘open jam’ in the second. And when JazzSoc say ‘open jam’, they really do mean open. Anyone in attendance, who had the forethought to bring their instrument, is invited to gather on stage to play a piece that they haven’t prepared, and the results are often astounding. There is no obligation to sign up beforehand, and most people just go to listen, but it is perfect for those who want to step out of their musical comfort zone.

The beauty of jazz lies, of course, in its improvisational style. In a world where there are no rules, there can be no mistakes, only experiments. I have watched saxophonists communicate with drummers with nothing more than a wiggle of the eyebrows, and all of a sudden the two musicians are engaging in a duet section that sounds like it should have taken days of rehearsal. Even complete beginners to jazz, who might not possess such confidence yet, are encouraged to take part.

Take my friend Jim, for example. Jim, first and foremost, is a pretty silly guy. But apart from that, he loves jazz, and he adores JazzSoc open jams. So it is unsurprising that one gig night, after a few too many house cocktails, he found himself on stage with seasoned jazz musicians playing the keyboard. Crucially, though, Jim does not play piano. But as I watched him up there, in between fits of laughter, I finally got jazz. Another musician, far more experienced than Jim, and likely fully aware that Jim was – for lack of a better phrase – a bit crap, gave him a nod, a nod which said, “Over to you, mate.” And there Jim was, playing the worst, but simultaneously the most ballsy, piano solo that Hidden Rooms had ever seen.

“There Jim was, playing the worst, but ballsiest, piano solo that Hidden Rooms had ever seen”

JazzSoc doesn’t wait for you to become a dedicated enjoyer or player of jazz, they wrap jazz up in a neat package, with an easy to untie ribbon on top, and hand it to you with a warm smile. They give jazz to students in a way that says, “Oh, okay, maybe jazz is for me!” And as someone whose previous musical experience is pretty much limited to secondary school choir, that kind of hand-holding approach is exactly what I need. 

Of course, I’m not suggesting that everyone descend on open jam nights to take the mick simply for the sake of making their friends laugh, but if nothing else it simply shows how welcoming a community jazz in Cambridge is, and how important it is for a space which allows people to play or appreciate music without fear of judgement, humiliation, or ridicule (although my friends and I were admittedly guilty of a fair amount of all of these). They even asked him if he wanted to stay on and play some more with them! Mercifully, he said no, but it really is the thought that counts.

If your problem with jazz isn’t that you don’t get it, but is instead that you think you don’t like it, I implore you to try it out. I have heard jazz renditions of Beyonce at JazzSoc which have unironically outperformed the original, and you will be surprised how many of the songs you recognise and love sound better when played in a jazzier style. Sometimes, though, the real selling point of JazzSoc is merely the student element. I am constantly so impressed by the talent on offer at this university, by students who often are not even studying music. Go for the “Can you believe they’ve never rehearsed this before?”, stay for the music – trust me.

Jazz, like I have said, is all about improvisation and spontaneity. So, when JazzSoc open jams return next term, take a leaf out of Jim’s book; play the proverbial keyboard. Listen to some jazz.