jam band

noun

plural jam bands

: a band (especially a rock band) whose performances are distinguished by frequent and often lengthy jazzlike improvisation

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

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

… Moon Taxi embodies the best of the jam band aesthetic: positive, bright, challenging and fun.—

Ann Powers

—sometimes hyphenated when used before another noun

Gov't Mule brought a refreshing oomph to … the jam-band scene.—

Matt Wake

Examples of jam band in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Phil Lesh, the bassist and founding member of the ultimate San Francisco jam band The Grateful Dead, died today. —

Greg Evans, Deadline, 25 Oct. 2024 Together, the group released 13 studio albums and dozens of live albums, making their name as one of the greatest jam bands to ever play. —

Rachel Desantis, People.com, 25 Oct. 2024 Lesh is best known as a founding member of the Grateful Dead, one of the most beloved and enduring jam bands in the world. —

Ryan Coleman, EW.com, 25 Oct. 2024 The Grateful Dead will be honored as the 2025 MusiCares Persons of the Year, the Recording Academy announced Wednesday, 60 years after the groundbreaking jam band formed in 1965 and quickly became an avatar of the burgeoning counterculture based in San Francisco’s Haight-Ashbury neighborhood. —

Mikael Wood, Los Angeles Times, 23 Oct. 2024 The Grateful Dead have been named the 2025 MusiCares Persons of the Year, with the legendary jam band to be feted at a Grammy week gala in January. —

Daniel Kreps, Rolling Stone, 23 Oct. 2024 Hitmaker and jam band guitar virtuoso John Mayer also performed a short set. —

Steve Appleford, Los Angeles Times, 7 Oct. 2024 The jam band delivers multiple compilations, special collections, and especially live albums each year, and most, if not all, of them sell well enough to reach the weekly rankings. —

Hugh McIntyre, Forbes, 3 Oct. 2024 American jam band Goose is launching its own destination festival, Viva El Gonzo, taking place May 8-10, 2025, in San José del Cabo, Mexico. —

Dave Brooks, Billboard, 2 Oct. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'jam band.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.