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

Beloved jam band Phish are paying tribute to the victims of a gruesome stabbing that took place outside their concert at the Hampton Coliseum in Virginia on Friday. —Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 22 Sep. 2025

For the first time in three decades, Phish, the iconic psychedelic rock jam band, is set to swim back to town on Friday, Sept. 12 as headliners of the 2025 Bourbon & Beyond Music Festival held at the Highland Festival Grounds, 937 Phillips Lane. —Kirby Adams, Louisville Courier Journal, 9 Sep. 2025

Marshall was soon welcomed into the scruffy jam band’s inner circle. —Stephanie Nolasco, FOXNews.com, 30 Aug. 2025

Examples of classic guitar styles are easy to find, with the nearly 50-year-old local jam band Max Creek opening this year’s outdoor Hartford Live! —Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 16 Aug. 2025

Weather and logistical delays caused the San Francisco jam band — then not nearly as well known to East Coasters — to go on 90 minutes late at 10:30 p.m., and their extended set lasted almost two hours. —Kate Hogan, People.com, 15 Aug. 2025

Binney has also played with Chrissie Hynde of The Pretenders, Norah Jones and the jam band Medeski, Martin & Wood. —George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 July 2025

Pete Shapiro: Jerry’s death led to, in a weird way, the further development of the jam band scene. —Daniel Kreps, Rolling Stone, 9 July 2025

Bonnaroo started with jam band headliners like Widespread Panic, Dave Matthews Band, The String Cheese Incident and Trey Anastasio. —Audrey Gibbs, The Tennessean, 2 July 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1934, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for jam band

• armband
• backhand
• bandstand
• baseband
• broadband
• command
• cropland
• demand
• disband
• dreamland
• expand
• farmhand