Music in Paris

We have been in Paris for 10 days now, and in that time I have seen:

• An organ concert at Notre Dame Cathedral
• Rock band
• Jazz jam session
• Funk jam session
• Brahms piano recital
• Fusion jam session

And there are still a few more jam sessions I would like to check out (Blues, Soul, Gypsy Jazz, Bluegrass...yes even Bluegrass). There are some great players in Paris (especially the Jazz horn and piano players). It was interesting going to jam session in Los Angeles the past few years, because that's where the best musicians in the world live and play (and you never knew what famous musicians may sit in and play that night). The one thing that Paris has over Los Angeles, is that the musical environment is much more open. In Los Angeles, it is pretty cut throat and difficult to make a living as a musician, so people are friendly, but it's a strange relationship among musicians there...it's kind of hard thing to describe.

There are two clubs that are 5 and 15 minute walks from me that have the jam sessions, so in a few weeks after my parents visit and bring my electric guitar. I'll start sitting in and playing. I need to get my jazz/fusion/blues chops up to par because all I've been playing the past 6 months has been a nylon string acoustic guitar. I've got 3 weeks to get about 20 or so "jam songs" ready so I don't fall flat on my face.

One cool thing is that most of these clubs have the band underground in a "cavern". It really is like walking down a spiral staircase into a catacomb to watch the bands play. The two clubs I've been going to are Le Caveau des Oubliettes (The Cave of Dungeons):

And Cave du 38's Riv' (Cave of the 38's Riv' - I'm not really sure what this refers to):

The good news is the entrance is free to the jam sessions, the bad news, you're required to buy some drinks...oh the horror!!!