How to Survive A Jam Session With Nashville's Best Guitar Players

Hey friends! 

I wanted to share with you some new videos, groovy jams, and stellar playing by two of the best guitar players in Nashville, Guthrie Trapp and Kenny Greenberg. Backed by drummer Pete Abbott and yours truly, these tunes were created, recorded, and filmed on-the-spot. Here’s the inside story! 

Guthrie Trapp, Guitar Picker Extraordinaire 

In late 2019, I received a particularly exciting phone call from Guthrie Trapp. If you’re not hip to him, Guthrie is one of Nashville’s greatest guitar pickers with a resume a mile long, touring credits out the wazoo, and exceptional educational offerings to boot. He spent many years touring with dobro legend Jerry Douglas, country songstress Patty Loveless, and countless other Nashville big names. As of late, he tours alongside John Oates (of Hall and Oates), plays locally with a variety of artists and teaches through ArtistWorks. Long story short, Guthrie and I would regularly run into each other at various gigs, restaurants, and musical happenings—the Nashville scene if you will. After playing together a few times, he got in touch about shooting some videos with (as if one hot-shot guitar player isn’t enough), Kenny Greenberg.  

Kenny Greenberg, Touring Guitar Player, Producer, and Session Ace 

As someone who made a habit of going out every night to hear live music, I originally stumbled upon Kenny Greenberg at one of Nashville’s best venues, Douglas Corner Café. He was accompanying Pat McLaughlin, a fantastic songwriter who toured with John Prine, wrote songs with and for Dan Auerbach, and has superb solo records featuring A-team players. Kenny was ripping solos with a tone that would melt your face off; I was immediately hooked on his blues-drenched licks and superb musical phrasing. That’s the beauty of living in Nashville—getting an up-close-and-personal performance from a touring player who has the week off from their “road gig” (which in Greenberg’s case, happens to be Kenny Chesney).

Pete Abbott, Drummer and Pocket Master 

And then there’s Pete Abbott, one of the strong and not-so-silent type drummers (because duh… he’s a drummer and drums are loud). Talk about pocket—this guy has played with the Average White Band, Tom Jones, Blood Sweat & Tears, and many others. In addition to seeing him perform locally, I had the opportunity to play on a session with Pete to cut rhythm tracks for a guitar slinger and fellow TrueFire educator, Joe Robinson. 

Filmed by Brett Papa

As I showed up to the session, I was introduced to Brett Papa, video expert and guitarist/educator extraordinaire. At the time, I didn’t know that Brett had an incredible YouTube channel and online education platform…I did my homework after the session, and let me say, it’s definitely worth checking out. Anywho, we set up our gear, worked out a few angles, and prepped for the jam.

Butterflies In The Stomach 

As we began checking sounds, dialing in mixes, and making small talk, I realized I was super nervous. After all, I was in the same room with a handful of Nashville professionals that I very much looked up to (and still do). These are players who have had careers that define what it means to be the “best in the biz.” They’re eclectic, super down to earth, and capable of executing earth-shattering music at a moment’s notice. What was I doing there?

Sink or Swim in a Jam Session  

To find myself standing there with a bass was equally surreal and terrifying. One of the scariest things about Nashville is knowing that there’s a line of people a mile long who have as much (if not more) skill, talent, work ethic, and musical aptitude as you do. It’s 100% a sink or swim scenario. Your ability to hang and make a good first impression is crucial, especially since no one has to call you a second time. Knowing this, I tried to calm myself down and be as cool and professional as possible. I knew that relying on what makes me a good player—my ability to listen, groove, and provide a solid foundation—would carry me through the day. 

The Role of the Bass Guitar

Kenny and Guthrie had worked out a few melodic ideas prior to the session and arrived with a game plan for a few songs. As we worked through each tune, I listened closely to the chord progression, overall form, and the rhythm defined by the drummer and rhythm guitar. After all, the bass player’s primary function is to match and/or enhance the feel of the song. Immediately assessing the situation, it was time to jump in. Most of the grooves in the videos came about in real-time, as the initial reaction to the harmony and rhythm. 

Communication In A Jam Session

Then, it was time to organically flush out the dynamic movement within the song, mostly in response to form and solos. This is perhaps the most “make or break” element of communication within a jam. It involves listening to how the music wants to evolve and what inspires that evolution. Sometimes, it’s the shape and energy of a solo, other times, it’s taking direction from the writer. They may tell you that the last verse should be played “down” or very mellow, yet the final chorus should crescendo. Anticipating this evolution and supporting the band as it moves in that direction is something that I always try to integrate into my playing. Most of that is dictated by watching the other players, listening to where they are going within the music, and playing something that enables them to arrive at the destination. 

Bass Lessons—Nay, Music Lessons

As you check out these videos, keep these bass lessons—nay, music lessons—in mind. Think about the evolution of dynamics, observe the communication between players, and listen to how the groove develops in conjunction with the other instruments. 

And lastly, enjoy! We made a lot of pretty groovy music in one afternoon and, thanks to the internet, you get to take advantage of it. Here’s to more musical adventures, butterflies in the stomach, and swimming, not sinking, in a jam session.