jam band
noun
plural jam bands
: a band (especially a rock band) whose performances are distinguished by frequent and often lengthy jazzlike improvisation
—sometimes hyphenated when used before another noun
Blues Traveler is part of the new wave of jam bands … that play long, long shows and inspire fan devotion reminiscent of the Grateful Dead.—
Dean Johnson
Dean Johnson
This Friday, the jam band Phish—which … remains uniquely regarded for its improvisational prowess and zealous, wayfaring fans—will arrive in New York City for thirteen shows …—Amanda Petrusich
Amanda Petrusich
… Moon Taxi embodies the best of the jam band aesthetic: positive, bright, challenging and fun.—Ann Powers
Ann Powers
Gov't Mule brought a refreshing oomph to … the jam-band scene.—Matt Wake
Matt Wake
Examples of jam band in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Local Grateful Dead fans are in for a massive treat this weekend as Gillian Welch and David Rawlings celebrate the legendary jam band’s music during three big shows. —Jim Harrington, Mercury News, 17 Apr. 2026 Phish is a jam band with a loyal and enthusiastic fanbase that first became popular in the 90s. —Carly Sauvageau, USA Today, 15 Apr. 2026 Devotees of Phish were thrilled to discover that a previously uncirculated 1990 show by the jam band is included. —ABC News, 7 Apr. 2026 The night’s features genre-bending performances from Big Gigantic, Goth Babe and Tycho, hip-hop acts BigXthaPlug and Paris Texas, and jam bands Dogs in a Pile and Eggy. —Patrick Connolly, The Orlando Sentinel, 27 Feb. 2026 After sets from intergenerational jam bands and folk-rock legends, the newest resident at Las Vegas’ Sphere will be a little louder and nastier than usual. —Los Angeles Times, 25 Feb. 2026 Another thing that a lot of these jam band fans love is drugs — tripping, smoking weed, rolling on MDMA, doing peyote or ayahuasca, and eventually many of them loved smoking crack and shooting heroin. —David Manheim, Rolling Stone, 19 Feb. 2026 Mega jam band Phish will return to its traditional perch at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park in Commerce City this summer after a tryout at Boulder’s Folsom Field last year. —John Wenzel, Denver Post, 18 Feb. 2026 The effect could remind one of jam bands, yes, but also of the unconscious cerebral shiftings of psych rock, where every instrument lysergically trembles a little outside of itself. —Ivy Nelson, Pitchfork, 6 Feb. 2026
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Jim Harrington, Mercury News, 17 Apr. 2026 Phish is a jam band with a loyal and enthusiastic fanbase that first became popular in the 90s. —Carly Sauvageau, USA Today, 15 Apr. 2026 Devotees of Phish were thrilled to discover that a previously uncirculated 1990 show by the jam band is included. —ABC News, 7 Apr. 2026 The night’s features genre-bending performances from Big Gigantic, Goth Babe and Tycho, hip-hop acts BigXthaPlug and Paris Texas, and jam bands Dogs in a Pile and Eggy. —Patrick Connolly, The Orlando Sentinel, 27 Feb. 2026 After sets from intergenerational jam bands and folk-rock legends, the newest resident at Las Vegas’ Sphere will be a little louder and nastier than usual. —Los Angeles Times, 25 Feb. 2026 Another thing that a lot of these jam band fans love is drugs — tripping, smoking weed, rolling on MDMA, doing peyote or ayahuasca, and eventually many of them loved smoking crack and shooting heroin. —David Manheim, Rolling Stone, 19 Feb. 2026 Mega jam band Phish will return to its traditional perch at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park in Commerce City this summer after a tryout at Boulder’s Folsom Field last year. —John Wenzel, Denver Post, 18 Feb. 2026 The effect could remind one of jam bands, yes, but also of the unconscious cerebral shiftings of psych rock, where every instrument lysergically trembles a little outside of itself. —Ivy Nelson, Pitchfork, 6 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Jam band.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.grautoblog.com/dictionary/jam%20band. Accessed 26 Apr. 2026.
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