THE HISTORY OF THE BLUES JAM

The history of the Stampen Blues Jam starts in 1998 with Brian Kramer’s initiative to find the right place for an open stage to inspire local musicians to sit in and play Blues informally & spontaneously.

There has not been any kind of blues jam sessions in or around Stockholm for over 10 years before it started and there was clearly a need for this. From the very first session Feb. 7th 1998 it was a huge hit and musicians came out of the wood-work!

Brian’s Jam has been one of the key factors in contributing to the growth and development of the local Blues community.

More younger musicians developed quickly cultivating there music in front of a live audience, new bands were formed (Young Guns, Bitter Blue etc.etc.) and the local clubs immediately saw a growth in patrons taking an interest in what was happening with new and older local blues artists.

People realized again that blues music can be fresh and exciting!

The Jam session at Stampen is more of an “open stage” where guests are invited to join Brian Kramer & the house band + special guests throughout the afternoon, rather than a “traditional” style Blues Jam where unprofessional-ism and competitive egos keep those jams unproductive and uninteresting.

We keep the quality and level of entertainment high and create a balance by joining professional, working musicians with amateur or hobby musicians building an atmosphere were everyone grows & learns from each other.

It was Brian’s vision to design an event that is friendly for the whole family as well as challenging & joyful to all levels of musicians.

Going into its 10th year, the strength and influence of Stampen’s Blues Jam is as solid as ever with hundreds of folks crowding the room each Saturday and new young artists eager to jump in week after week.

This is a testament to Brian & Stampen’s dedication toward keeping the quality and standard high.

Check a video from the jam >>