BET Airs Studio Jams

If you’ve been watching the BET on Jazz cable channel recently you may have caught glimpse of artists like Pat Martino, Arturo Sandoval and Joey DeFrancesco in the studio, playing with the likes of Gerald Veasley (pictured), Larry Carlton and Victor Wooten. If so, you were likely watching Studio Jams, an hour-long show that brings together musicians you might not expect to see sharing a studio space for the simple purpose of creating new music in front of the camera. BET on Jazz began airing Studio Jams after making a distribution deal with the show’s production company, Philadelphia-based Ace Entertainment.

Each episode of Studio Jams takes places at Sigma Sound recordings studios, the Philly landmark where hometown greats Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff created “the Philly sound,” and chronicles a recording session featuring five or so name musicians. Musicians are seen and heard composing, jamming and making music in the moment. Many of the artists haven’t worked together before; banjo player Bela Fleck decided to be on the show just because it offered him the opportunity to play with Pat Martino; guitarist Larry Carlton flew out from L.A. just to groove along with Joey DeFrancesco’s B3 licks.

A list of the ten existing episodes of Studio Jams and the artists each features is below, but you’ll have to check your local listings for air dates and times. For more info, visit www.bet.com.

Tuck Andress & Joey DeFrancesco

with Victor Wooten, Roy Wooten, Jeff Coffin, Kofi Burbridge, Derek Trucks

Bela Fleck & Pat Martino

with Gerald Veasley, Rick Braun and Rayford Griffin

Yellowjackets

with Doc Gibbs and Andrei Ryabov

Stanley Jordan

with Victor Wooten, Roy Wooten, Jeff Coffin and Bill Jolly

Pieces of a Dream

with Gerald Veasley, Richie Cole, Ray Vega and Hector Rosado

Larry Carlton & Joey DeFrancesco

with Gerald Veasley, Chris Farr, Emedin Rivera and Byron Landham

Vernon Reid

with Oteil Burbridge, Derek Trucks, Jeff Coffin, Kofi Burbridge and Yonrico Scott

Jeff Lorber

with Nate Phillips, Joel Taylor, Michael Paulo and Edgardo Cintron

Michael Wolff

with John. B Williams, Victor Jones, Mark Douthit and Badal Roy

Jackie King

with Mickey Raphael, Bee Spears, Jay Davidson, Billy English and Bob Miles

Originally Published August 28, 2003