A jam session is a relatively informal musical event, process, or activity where musicians , typically instrumentalists, play improvised solos and vamp over tunes, drones , songs, and chord progressions . To "jam" is to improvise music without extensive preparation or predefined arrangements . Original jam sessions, also called "free flow sessions," are often used by musicians to develop new material (music) and find suitable arrangements . Both styles can be used simply as a social gathering and communal practice session. Jam sessions may be based upon existing songs or forms, may be loosely based on an agreed chord progression or chart suggested by one participant, or may be wholly improvisational. Jam sessions can range from very loose gatherings of amateurs to evenings where a jam session coordinator or host acts as a " gatekeeper " so that appropriate-level performers take the stage to sophisticated improvised recording sessions by professionals which are intended to be broadcast live on radio or TV or edited and released to the public.
100-443: Daniel Quine Auerbach ( / ˈ aʊər b ɑː k / ; born May 14, 1979) is an American musician, singer-songwriter, and record producer, best known as the guitarist and vocalist of The Black Keys , a blues rock band from Akron, Ohio . As a member of the group, Auerbach has recorded and co-produced twelve studio albums with his bandmate Patrick Carney . Auerbach has also released two solo albums, Keep It Hid (2009) and Waiting on
200-443: A demo . To record one, he asked for help from Carney, who agreed to provide recording equipment and allow his basement to be used if Auerbach recruited the other musicians. However, none of Auerbach's backing band showed up on the recording date. Instead, Carney and Auerbach jammed, eventually leading to the duo forming a band in mid-2001. Together, they recorded a six-song demo consisting of "old blues rip-offs and words made up on
300-751: A Duo or Group with Vocal (for "Tighten Up"), while Michael Carney , the band's creative director and Patrick's brother, won Best Recording Package for designing the album's artwork. The band's sudden success proved overwhelming, as they found themselves booking additional promotional commitments and facing demand for additional touring dates. In January 2011, the group canceled concerts in Australia, New Zealand, and Europe, citing exhaustion, thus clearing out most of their touring schedule into April. Patrick Carney said, "We've been touring long enough to know when we're about to hit our breaking point." The desire to record another album soon after Brothers also led to
400-645: A Song (2017), and formed a side project, the Arcs , which released the albums Yours, Dreamily, (2015) and Electrophonic Chronic (2023). Auerbach owns the Easy Eye Sound recording studio in Nashville, Tennessee , as well as a record label of the same name. He has produced records by artists such as Cage the Elephant , Dr. John , Lana Del Rey , Ray LaMontagne , CeeLo Green , Hank Williams Jr and
500-646: A co-writer, producer, and drummer on Hopeless Romantic , the first studio album by Michelle Branch in 14 years. After beginning a relationship while working on the album, the two were engaged in July 2017 and married in April 2019. On March 7, 2019, the Black Keys released the single " Lo/Hi ", their first new music released in five years. A week later, the band announced a North American tour co-headlining with Modest Mouse and openers *repeat repeat . On April 25,
600-568: A collaborative album featuring the Black Keys and several hip hop artists, was released in 2009 on Black Friday . The project was supported and brought together by Damon Dash , who is a big fan of the band. The album features rappers Mos Def , Ludacris , RZA , Raekwon , Pharoahe Monch , Q-Tip , NOE , Jim Jones , Nicole Wray , M.O.P. , and the late Ol' Dirty Bastard . The album was recorded in Brooklyn , New York by co-producer, engineer and mixer Joel Hamilton at Studio G. Auerbach said on
700-441: A daughter, Sadie Little Auerbach, born in 2008. In 2013, they were divorced. Auerbach, Patrick Carney, and Jack White have been involved in several public feuds. The roots of the conflict date back to 2012, when White banned Auerbach from his Nashville studio. They have since made amends and are now on good terms. In 2010, Auerbach moved from Akron, Ohio to Nashville, Tennessee. He moved his record label Easy Eye Sound and bought
800-423: A demo with his band at the time but no one showed up. He and Carney then decided that they would just play instead. What came out of that session was ultimately sent out to several labels to try to secure a record deal. While attending university, Auerbach met and began regularly playing guitar with fellow Ohio blues musician Patrick Sweany while continuing to work on material for The Black Keys with Carney. Sweany
900-435: A fertile meeting place and proving ground for both established soloists like Ben Webster and Lester Young as well as the younger jazz musicians who would soon become leading exponents of the bebop movement, including Thelonious Monk (Minton's house pianist), saxophone player Charlie Parker , and trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie . The Minton's jams had competitive " cutting contests ," in which soloists would try to keep up with
1000-545: A keynote event. The documentary film This Is a Film About the Black Keys , directed by Jeff Dupre, debuted as part of the film festival. They also performed at SXSW on March 14 and 15. A North America arena tour titled the International Players Tour was announced in April 2024, but was suddenly canceled in May. The band would announce later the tour would be rescheduled for smaller venues. In June 2024
1100-480: A kind of play on words. We always used the word 'session' a lot, and I think the expression 'jam session' grew up out of this playful yelling back and forth. The New York scene during World War II was famous for its after-hours jam sessions. One of the most famous was the regular after-hours jam at Minton's Playhouse in New York City that ran in the 1940s and early 1950s. The jam sessions at Minton's were
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#17327877482901200-779: A man dancing and lip-syncing. The song became the group's best-charting single in several countries, reaching number 64 on the Billboard Hot 100, number 2 on the Australian Singles Chart , and number 33 on the Canadian Hot 100 . The song was certified nine-times platinum in Canada, triple platinum in Australia, platinum in New Zealand, and gold in Denmark. The band returned to Saturday Night Live as
1300-477: A more melancholy tone, largely in part due to Auerbach dealing with the divorce from his wife during the album sessions. The first single, " Fever " was released on March 24, while a second single, " Turn Blue ", followed on April 14. The album debuted at number one in the US and Australia, the band's first record to top the album charts in either country; 164,000 copies were sold in the US in its first week. The album
1400-406: A music video. This coincided with the announcement of their eleventh album, Dropout Boogie , which was released on May 13, 2022. A second single, "It Ain't Over", was released on April 27, 2022. On August 11, 2023, the Black Keys released the song "No Lovin'", their contribution to the compilation album Tell Everybody! (21st Century Juke Joint Blues From Easy Eye Sound) . On January 12, 2024,
1500-468: A musical guest on December 3, 2011. El Camino was released three days later and received wide critical acclaim. In the US, it debuted at number two on the Billboard 200 and sold 206,000 copies in its first week, the highest single-week sales and (to that point) charting position the group had achieved in the country. Many publications, such as Rolling Stone and Time ranked El Camino among
1600-506: A new deal with Fat Possum Records . Over the next decade, the Black Keys built an underground fanbase through extensive touring of small clubs, frequent album releases and music festival appearances, and broad licensing of their songs. Their third album, Rubber Factory (2004), received critical acclaim and boosted the band's profile, eventually leading to a record deal with major label Nonesuch Records in 2006. After self-producing and recording their first four records in makeshift studios,
1700-542: A raw blues rock sound for the group; the covers included tracks originally by blues musicians Muddy Waters , Junior Kimbrough , and R. L. Burnside . Two tracks, covers of the traditional blues standard " Leavin' Trunk " and the Beatles ' song " She Said, She Said ", were released as a single on Isota Records. The track "I'll Be Your Man" would later be used as the theme song for the HBO series Hung . In order to help fund
1800-474: A record deal with major label Nonesuch Records in 2006. After self-producing and recording their first four records in makeshift studios, in 2008 the duo completed Attack & Release in a professional studio and hired producer Danger Mouse , a frequent collaborator with the band. The group's commercial breakthrough came in 2010 with Brothers , which along with its popular single " Tighten Up ", won three Grammy Awards including Best Alternative Album of
1900-490: A record for Ike Turner and asked the Black Keys to write a few songs for the project. The collaboration ultimately fell through, and Turner later died in December 2007. The duo decided to turn the material they had written into their fifth studio album, Attack & Release , and they asked Danger Mouse to produce the record. The sessions saw the band transitioning away from their "homemade" ethos to record-making; not only
2000-654: A studio as soon as he moved into town. Auerbach has described Nashville as not just being "a little tourist music spot" but much more. As Auerbach grew older he realized Nashville was "the spot I wanted to go to. There's the most music that I felt a connection to". The Black Keys The Black Keys are an American rock duo formed in Akron, Ohio in 2001. The group consists of Dan Auerbach ( guitar , vocals ) and Patrick Carney ( drums ). The duo began as an independent act, recording music in basements and self-producing their records, before they eventually emerged as one of
2100-652: A swimming accident while vacationing in Saint Barthélemy in January 2015. After concluding their tour with a performance at Outside Lands Music and Arts Festival in August 2015, the Black Keys began an extended hiatus. Shortly after they began their hiatus, the band were ranked No. 20 on Rolling Stone 's list of the 20 Greatest Duos of All Time. During the band's hiatus, Auerbach and Carney were involved in several musical projects on their own. Auerbach formed
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#17327877482902200-524: A tour, Auerbach and Carney took jobs mowing lawns for a landlord. Despite modest sales for The Big Come Up , it gained a cult following and attracted attention from critics, eventually landing the group a record deal with Fat Possum Records . Within days of signing to Fat Possum, the Black Keys completed their second album, Thickfreakness . It was recorded in Carney's basement in a single 14-hour session in December 2002, an approach necessitated because
2300-418: Is of Polish Jewish descent and his mother is of part Manx descent. His maternal cousin, twice removed, was philosopher and logician Willard Van Orman Quine , and his second cousin once removed was the late guitarist Robert Quine . Auerbach grew up in a family with musical roots. Auerbach became infatuated with blues after listening to his father's old vinyl records during his childhood. His first concert
2400-1001: The Billboard 200 chart, leading to the first arena concert tour of the band's career, the El Camino Tour . The album and its hit single " Lonely Boy " won three Grammy Awards. In 2014, they released their eighth album, Turn Blue , their first number-one record in the US, Canada, and Australia. After completing the Turn Blue Tour in 2015, the duo took a hiatus for several years to work on side projects and produce other artists. They returned in 2019 with their ninth album, Let's Rock . They have since released three additional studio albums: Delta Kream (2021), consisting of hill country blues covers ; Dropout Boogie (2022); and Ohio Players (2024). Guitarist and vocalist Dan Auerbach and drummer Patrick Carney first met when they were eight or nine years old while living in
2500-527: The 55th Annual Grammy Awards (2013), Dan Auerbach was nominated and won the award for Producer of the Year, Non-Classical , for work including the band's El Camino . Jam session One source for the phrase "jam session" came about in the 1920s when white and black musicians would congregate after their regular paying gigs to play the jazz they could not play in the " Paul Whiteman " style bands they played in. When Bing Crosby attended these sessions,
2600-664: The Acid Tests put on by the Merry Pranksters . Other bands in the late '60s incorporated live jam techniques like Cream yet the Grateful Dead and the Allman Brothers allowed the "jam band" to become a genre unto itself; more recent bands following in their steps include Phish , moe. , Umphreys Mcgee , and Widespread Panic , all of which feature extended improvisational sessions. Other bands such as
2700-589: The Pretenders , also an Akron native and Firestone High School graduate, followed their set. In November, they toured through Europe together with Liam Finn . That month, the group released the concert video Live at the Crystal Ballroom , which was filmed on April 4, 2008, at the group's show at Crystal Ballroom in Portland, Oregon. The video was produced by Lance Bangs . Tensions grew within
2800-504: The Red Hot Chili Peppers also regularly perform live jam sessions. Bluegrass music also features a tradition of jamming. Bluegrass jams happen in the parking lots and campgrounds of bluegrass festivals , in music stores, bars and restaurants and on stages. Bluegrass jams tend to be segregated by the skill level of the players. Slow jams for beginners provide an entry point. Open bluegrass jams are open to all comers, but
2900-413: The blues to psychedelia to classic, good ol' fashioned rock 'n' roll , and so many of their most interesting tunes bring all those elements together". Current touring musicians Former touring musicians Timeline Studio albums Note: At the 53rd Annual Grammy Awards (2011), Michael Carney was nominated and won the award for Best Recording Package , for Brothers . At
3000-679: The 1950s–1970s, including rock and roll , glam rock , rockabilly , surf rock , and soul . The band cited several retro acts as musical influences on the album, including the Clash , the Cramps , T. Rex , Ramones , the Beatles , the Sweet , the Cars , and Johnny Burnette . " Lonely Boy " was released in October as the album's lead single, accompanied by a popular one-shot music video of
3100-412: The 2010 MTV Video Music Award for Breakthrough Video . Brothers sold over 73,000 copies in the US in its first week and peaked at number three on the Billboard 200, their best performance on the chart to that point. In total, the record sold 1.5 million copies worldwide, including 870,000 copies in the US, and it was certified double-platinum in Canada, platinum in the US, and gold in
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3200-603: The Arcs in 2015, who released their debut album, Yours, Dreamily, that September. He also released his second solo album, Waiting on a Song , in 2017, and contributed to albums by artists such as the Pretenders , A$ AP Rocky and Jake Bugg . Meanwhile, Carney worked as a producer on albums by Tobias Jesso, Jr. and Karen Elson , and he composed the theme song to the Netflix animated series BoJack Horseman with his late uncle Ralph Carney . In 2017, Carney served as
3300-629: The Black Keys became one of only a couple of bands in Saturday Night Live 's history to appear as the musical guest twice in one year. They played the January 8 episode as well as the December 3 episode. After the touring for Turn Blue concluded, Auerbach and Carney took a break from The Black Keys. Both Auerbach and Carney have been on record talking about needing a break from the constant working process. Carney said, "I love making music with Dan and I'm excited for when we do that next, and we will do it. But both of us have PTSD from being on
3400-681: The Black Keys drew comparisons to them—sometimes as a derivative act—since both groups had two-piece lineups, Midwest origins, bluesy sounds, and names with colors. In September, the Black Keys released a split-EP with the Six Parts Seven titled The Six Parts Seven/The Black Keys EP , featuring one song by the Six Parts Seven and three songs by the Black Keys. The Black Keys released an EP titled The Moan on January 19, 2004, featuring "Have Love Will Travel", an alternate version of "Heavy Soul", and two covers. The group found itself struggling to sell records or gain airplay of their songs on
3500-485: The Black Keys released "Eagle Birds", the second single from their ninth album, Let's Rock . "Lo/Hi" became the band's first single to reach number one on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart. On May 16, the band released Let's Rock ' s third single, "Go". On April 13, 2021, the Black Keys announced an album comprising 11 covers of hill country blues songs titled Delta Kream , which
3600-543: The Grateful Dead , AC/DC , Led Zeppelin , Santana , King Crimson , Lynyrd Skynyrd , Steely Dan , and the Allman Brothers Band would feature live improvised performances that could last 10 to 20 minutes or longer. In this context, jams are not casual congregations, but rather improvised portions of rehearsed public set lists. The Grateful Dead are often credited as being the first jam band, dating back as early as 1965 providing freeform improvisation at
3700-601: The Hacienda band members hit on an intoxicated woman, Carney walked over and leaned in saying, "Dude, trust me, that's a bad idea." After becoming acquainted with each other, Auerbach e-mailed Hacienda a month later asking for more demos, which eventually led them to being asked to open for The Black Keys and Dr. Dog at a show in Austin, Texas. Afterward, Auerbach asked Hacienda to travel to Akron, Ohio where they would be his "guinea pigs" while recording Keep It Hid . Blakroc
3800-458: The One ", " Your Touch ", and " Just Got to Be ". In support of Magic Potion , the band embarked on its largest tour to that point, performing in large theaters and 1,000-seat venues. The Black Keys recorded covers of " The Wicked Messenger " for the soundtrack of the film I'm Not There and "If You Ever Slip" for The Hottest State soundtrack. In 2007, producer Danger Mouse began working on
3900-465: The Pretenders . In addition to winning several Grammy Awards as a member of the Black Keys, Auerbach received the 2013 Grammy Award for Producer of the Year, Non-Classical and was nominated again for the award in 2020, 2021 and 2023. Auerbach was born in Ohio, and is the son of Mary Little (née Quine; b. about 1948), a teacher of French, and Charles Auerbach (b. about 1950), an antique dealer. His father
4000-504: The RZA of Wu-Tang Clan . Auerbach is best known for his work with The Black Keys. Auerbach and drummer Patrick Carney first met when they were eight or nine years old while living in the same neighborhood of Akron, Ohio . Carney is the nephew of saxophonist Ralph Carney , who performed on several Tom Waits albums. While attending Firestone High School , Carney and Auerbach became friends, though they were part of different crowds. Auerbach
4100-471: The UK. The Black Keys were among several artist judges at the 9th annual Independent Music Awards to support independent artists' careers. The band continued to gain exposure through continued song licensing, so much so that they were Warner Bros. Records ' most-licensed band of the year. Rolling Stone placed Brothers at number two on its list of the best albums of 2010 and "Everlasting Light" at number 11 on
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4200-593: The United States and opening concerts for Sleater-Kinney , Beck , and Dashboard Confessional . However, exhaustion had set in by the end of the year, forcing the band to cancel European tour dates. In August, the group made its national television debut on Late Night with Conan O'Brien and performed at the Reading and Leeds Festivals . As fellow garage band the White Stripes grew in popularity,
4300-411: The Year. Their 2011 follow-up, El Camino , received strong reviews and reached number two on the Billboard 200 chart, leading to the first arena concert tour of the band's career, the El Camino Tour . The album and its hit single " Lonely Boy " won three Grammy Awards. In 2014, they released their eighth album, Turn Blue , their first number-one record in the US, Canada, and Australia. In 2011,
4400-530: The album Sharecropper's Son , to be released May 21, 2021 on Easy Eye Sound. The album is autobiographical in nature, and centers on Finley's upbringing on a crop share in Louisiana, and was produced by Auerbach. The Black Keys' 2010 album, Brothers , won three Grammy awards. At the 2013 Grammy Awards , Auerbach won the award for Producer of the Year, Non-Classical , for work on The Black Keys album El Camino, as well as those of Dr. John and Hacienda. Auerbach
4500-479: The album was Junior Kimbrough's "Everywhere I Go". Time later named Thickfreakness the third-best album of 2003. That year, the duo received a lucrative offer of £200,000 to license one of their songs for use in an English mayonnaise advertisement. At the suggestion of their manager , they rejected the offer for fear of being perceived as " sell-outs " and alienating their fan base. The band toured extensively throughout 2003, playing its first dates outside of
4600-592: The album with tours in North America, Europe, and Australia. In 2005, the band released their first live video album, Live , recorded at The Metro Theatre in Sydney, Australia on March 18, 2005. In July, they played at the Lollapalooza music festival. On May 2, 2006, the Black Keys released Chulahoma: The Songs of Junior Kimbrough , a 6-track album of cover versions of songs by Junior Kimbrough. It
4700-647: The album. It was recorded primarily at Sunset Sound in Hollywood, California, from July–August 2013, with additional recording at Key Club in Benton Harbor, Michigan , and Nashville's Easy Eye Sound in early 2014. The album was announced in March 2014 via Mike Tyson 's Twitter account, with a link to a cryptic teaser video on YouTube featuring a hypnotist, and was released on May 13, 2014. The record exhibits psychedelic rock and soul influences and features
4800-605: The band Hacienda and percussionist Patrick Hallahan from My Morning Jacket . The original percussionist, Bob Cesare, was unable to perform with the Fast Five because of a death in his family. Auerbach and fellow Black Keys member Patrick Carney met the members of Hacienda at a club, Emo's , in Austin, Texas while watching a band during the Austin City Limits Music Festival . Upon seeing one of
4900-459: The band in 2009. Prior to Carney's divorce from his wife Denise Grollmus, Auerbach found it increasingly difficult to communicate with the drummer due to his antipathy for Grollmus. Auerbach said, "I really hated her from the start and didn't want anything to do with her." In February, Auerbach released his debut solo album, Keep It Hid . Carney, who claimed Auerbach did not tell him about the side project, felt betrayed. Carney subsequently formed
5000-426: The band released the single "Beautiful People (Stay High)", taken from their twelfth studio album Ohio Players . The album was released on April 5, 2024, on streaming services, as well as vinyl, CD and cassette. The album was well received with one review saying the Black Keys have 'found that creative musical joy again' In March 2024, the band appeared at SXSW 2024 , participating in an onstage interview during
5100-439: The band spent 41 days at Easy Eye Sound Studio, which was opened in 2010 by Auerbach in the duo's new hometown of Nashville, Tennessee . For the album, Danger Mouse reprised his role as producer and also contributed as a co-writer on all 11 songs. After struggling to translate the slower songs from Brothers to a live setting, the band decided to write more uptempo tracks for El Camino . The record draws from popular genres from
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#17327877482905200-517: The band split from their managers Irving Azoff and Steve Moir. Media speculation questioned if the tour changes and management departure was due to poor ticket sales, which Carney eventually responded to on social media stating "We got fucked. I'll let you all know how so it doesn't happen to you. Stay tuned." In late 2024 the band released the singles "Mi Tormenta" featuring DannyLux and "Stay in Your Grave" featuring Alice Cooper in advance of
5300-435: The band was over, stating, "Man, this is really interesting... so um, can you help me train your replacement!?" After signing with indie label Alive , they released their debut album, The Big Come Up , in 2002, which earned them a new deal with jazz/rock label Fat Possum Records . Their third album, Rubber Factory , was released in 2004 and received critical acclaim; it boosted the band's profile, eventually leading to
5400-670: The best albums of the year, despite its late release. The album was certified double-platinum in Australia, Canada, and New Zealand; platinum in the US, UK, and Ireland; and gold in Belgium, the Netherlands, and France. In 2012, the group commenced the first headlining arena tour of its career, the El Camino Tour , playing dates in Europe and North America. After tickets went on sale, their show at Madison Square Garden sold out in 15 minutes. Just as it did on its previous tour,
5500-542: The collective's associated musicians, including rapper Mos Def 's Black on Both Sides (1999), singer Res 's How I Do (2001), and rapper Talib Kweli 's Quality (2002). Bilal held improvisatory jam sessions while recording his second album, Love for Sale , at Electric Lady, although its experimental direction alienated his label from releasing it, and a subsequent leak led to its indefinite shelving. Common's similarly experimental Electric Circus sold disappointingly, which discouraged MCA Records , Common and
5600-524: The companies to license its music were Sony , Nissan, and Victoria's Secret , which used "The Desperate Man" in a lingerie commercial featuring Heidi Klum . Despite having the resources of a major record label available to them, the group elected to return to recording in Carney's basement for its fourth studio album, Magic Potion . Released on September 12, 2006, the album was the group's first release on Nonesuch, as well as its first album to comprise all original songs. Three singles were issued: " You're
5700-739: The decision. Carney said, "We could have waited another year or so, and milked the Brothers album and kept touring, but we like bands, and our favourite bands growing up and even today, are bands that put out a lot of music and every album is different from the last." Brothers ' second single, " Howlin' for You ", was a successful follow-up, achieving a gold certification in the US. The music video, directed by Chris Marrs Piliero, parodied action movie trailers and starred Tricia Helfer , Diora Baird , Sean Patrick Flanery , Christian Serratos , Corbin Bernsen , Todd Bridges , and Shaun White . It
5800-601: The deluxe "Trophy Edition" of Ohio Players. The band was announced for a show on the "2024 America Loves Crypto Tour" at the Akron Civic Center. The booking was criticized by lifestyle magazine GQ due to the tour's relationship to political action committees financing cryptocurrency friendly politicians in the 2024 US elections. The Black Keys have been described as blues rock , garage rock , punk blues , indie rock , lo-fi , and alternative rock . According to Paste , "they've bounced from
5900-408: The duo completed Attack & Release (2008) in a professional studio and hired producer Danger Mouse , who subsequently became a frequent collaborator with the band. The group's commercial breakthrough came in 2010 with Brothers , which along with its popular single " Tighten Up ", won three Grammy Awards . Their 2011 follow-up El Camino received strong reviews and peaked at number two on
6000-399: The festival, Carney and Auerbach spent their early tour days driving themselves from show to show in a 1994 Chrysler van they nicknamed the "Gray Ghost". Thickfreakness was released on April 8, 2003, and received positive reviews from critics. The record spawned three singles: " Set You Free ", " Hard Row ", and a cover of Richard Berry 's " Have Love, Will Travel ". The other cover from
6100-470: The first half of 2004, including Coachella and Bonnaroo . For their third album, Rubber Factory , the band was forced to find a new recording location, as the building that housed their basement studio was sold by its landlord. They created a makeshift studio in a former tire -manufacturing factory in Akron, and recorded from January to May 2004. The album was released on September 7, 2004, and became
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#17327877482906200-528: The group added bassist Gus Seyffert and keyboardist/guitarist John Wood as touring musicians in order to perform songs as close to their studio arrangements as possible. The album's second single, " Gold on the Ceiling ", like its predecessor, went to number one on the Alternative Songs chart and was certified platinum in Australia and Canada. The group headlined several music festivals throughout
6300-498: The group spent its small advance payment from Fat Possum on rent. The group had recorded sessions with producer Jeff Saltzman in San Francisco but ultimately aborted them, as they were unhappy that the results sounded too much like "modern-rock radio". In March 2003, the group played at one of its first music festivals, South by Southwest in Austin, Texas, after driving for nearly 24 hours from Akron. Much as they did for
6400-490: The group's first record to chart on the US Billboard 200 , reaching number 143. Rubber Factory received critical acclaim and was named one of the year's best albums by Entertainment Weekly and The New Yorker . Two singles were released, " 10 A.M. Automatic " and the double A-side " 'Till I Get My Way/Girl Is on My Mind ". Comedian David Cross directed the music video for "10 A.M. Automatic". The duo promoted
6500-529: The hell did it happen there and not where we were playing? I'm just so brokenhearted about all those people." On July 3, 2018, Richard Swift , the multi-instrumentalist and singer-songwriter who was a member of the Arcs, died at the age of 41. Swift and Auerbach were very close friends, with Auerbach describing Swift as "one of the most talented musicians I know". The Arcs released their second album, Electrophonic Chronic , in January 2023. In 2017, blues musician Robert Finley got connected with Auerbach, and
6600-442: The house band and outdo each other in improvisational skill. Influenced by jazz, Cuban music saw the emergence of improvised jam sessions during the filin movement of the 1940s, where boleros , sones and other song types were performed in an extended form called descarga . During the 1950s these descargas became the basis of a new genre of improvised jams based on the son montuno with notable jazz influences pioneered by
6700-613: The idea was usually to try to cut each other, each one trying to outdo the others and prove himself best. Those impromptu concerts of theirs were generally known as 'cuttin' contests.' Our idea…was to play together, to make the improvisation really collective… Down in that basement concert hall, somebody was always yelling over to me, 'Hey Jelly, what you gonna do?'—they gave me that nickname, or sometimes called me Roll, because I always wanted to play Clarence Williams ' '(I Ain't Gonna Give Nobody None O' This) Jelly Roll'—and almost every time I'd cap them with, 'Jelly's gonna jam some now,' just as
6800-735: The indie band Drummer , with whom he played bass guitar. The group released its debut album Feel Good Together on September 29, 2009. The Black Keys reconciled later in the year. On June 6, 2009, they performed along with the Roots , TV on the Radio , Public Enemy , Antibalas , and other acts at the 2nd Annual Roots Picnic on the Festival Pier in Philadelphia . They also joined the 9th annual Independent Music Awards judging panel to assist independent musicians' careers. Blakroc ,
6900-403: The late Ol' Dirty Bastard of Wu-Tang Clan . In 2015, Auerbach announced the formation of a new musical group known as The Arcs . Auerbach said about the band: "I just wanted to do my thing and get extra weird. I wanted everything to flow [and] be cohesive. It's basically everything I love about music all wrapped up into one record". The debut album, Yours, Dreamily, was released later in
7000-691: The late 1990s to the early 2000s, held jam sessions while recording their respective albums at Electric Lady Studios . This began in 1997 when the singer D'Angelo and the drummer-producer Questlove (of The Roots ) prepared to record the former's Voodoo (2000) album at the studio. Their sessions there over the next five years resulted in the Roots' albums Things Fall Apart (1999) and Phrenology (2002), singer Erykah Badu 's second album Mama's Gun (2000), rapper Common 's albums Like Water for Chocolate (2000) and Electric Circus (2002), and singer Bilal 's debut album 1st Born Second . Badu has said that "just about everything from [ Mama's Gun ]
7100-529: The likes of Julio Gutiérrez and Cachao . During the 1960s, descargas played an important role in the development of salsa , especially the salsa dura style. As the instrumental proficiency of rock musicians improved in the 1960s and early 1970s, onstage jamming—free improvisation—also became a regular feature of rock music; bands such as Pink Floyd , Cream , The Rolling Stones , the Jimi Hendrix Experience , Deep Purple , The Who ,
7200-457: The list of the year's best songs. Spin named the Black Keys the "Artist of the Year" for 2010. On January 8, 2011, the band appeared as the musical guest on American television sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live . At the 53rd Grammy Awards , Brothers and its songs won awards in three of the five categories they were nominated in; the band received honors for Best Alternative Music Album (for Brothers ) and Best Rock Performance by
7300-486: The most popular garage rock artists during a second wave of the genre's revival in the 2000s . The band's raw blues rock sound draws heavily from Auerbach's blues influences, including Junior Kimbrough , R.L. Burnside , Howlin' Wolf , and Robert Johnson . Friends since childhood, Auerbach and Carney founded the group after dropping out of college. After signing with indie label Alive , they released their debut album, The Big Come Up (2002), which earned them
7400-597: The musicians would say he was "jammin' the beat," since he would clap on the one and the three. Thus these sessions became known as "jam sessions." Mezz Mezzrow also gives this more detailed and self-referential description, based on his experience at the jazz speakeasy known as the Three Deuces: I think the term 'jam session' originated right in that cellar. Long before that, of course, the colored boys used to get together and play for kicks, but those were mostly private sessions, strictly for professional musicians, and
7500-435: The official Blakroc site, "Pat and I have been preparing for this record since we were 16." Auerbach and Carney moved to Nashville in 2010, where they established a studio downtown. The group's sixth studio album, Brothers , was released on May 18, 2010. Recorded primarily at Muscle Shoals Sound Studio , the album was produced by the Black Keys and Mark Neill, and was mixed by Tchad Blake . The song " Tighten Up ",
7600-562: The only track from the album produced by Danger Mouse, preceded the album as the lead single. The song became their most successful single to that point, spending 10 weeks at number one on the Alternative Songs chart and becoming the group's first single on the Billboard Hot 100 , peaking at number 87. The song also reached gold certification status. The music video for "Tighten Up", directed by Chris Marrs Piliero , won
7700-556: The pair released an original soundtrack for the graphic novel Murder Ballads , published by z2 Comics. Shortly after the release of the Murder Ballads soundtrack, Billboard announced that Finley would be releasing a full-length album produced and co-written by Auerbach. The album, Goin' Platinum! , was released on Auerbach's Easy Eye Sound ( Nonesuch Records ) on December 8, 2017. The following year Finley joined Auerbach's Easy Eye Sound Revue tour. In 2021, Finley announced
7800-513: The players in an open jam will expect a certain level of proficiency from participants. The abilities to hear chord progressions and keep time are essential, and the ability to play improvised leads that contain at least a suggestion of the melody is desirable. Jams that require advanced musical proficiency are generally private events, by invitation only. Members of the Soulquarians , an alternative-minded black music collective active from
7900-466: The radio, and they were not making much money either; they had to absorb a $ 3,000 loss from a European tour. Frustrated with their lack of success, the band relented and decided to begin licensing their music, beginning with the song "Set You Free" in a Nissan automobile commercial. It was the first of an eventual 300-plus song placements in television shows, films, TV commercials, and video games. The group played several high-profile musical festivals in
8000-464: The road constantly". Auerbach added, "You can't just keep doing it, because it'll suck your brain dry". After their hiatus, The Black Keys returned in 2019 with the album Let's Rock produced by [The Black Keys] with the chart-topping single "Lo/Hi". This was followed by 2021's Delta Kream , which consisted of blues covers performed with guitarist Kenny Brown and bassist Eric Deaton. In 2022, The Black Keys announced Dropout Boogie . Auerbach
8100-443: The same neighborhood of Akron, Ohio a couple houses down from each other. Auerbach and Carney both come from musical backgrounds. Auerbach is the cousin of guitarist Robert Quine , a "veteran of New York's avant-rock scene." Carney is the nephew of saxophonist Ralph Carney , who performed on several Tom Waits albums. While attending Firestone High School , they became friends, though they were part of different crowds —Auerbach
8200-622: The soccer team at Firestone High School . He attended University of Akron . During college Auerbach was heavily influenced by Junior Kimbrough , eventually resulting in his dropping out to pursue the guitar more seriously. "I've listened to him so much, it's just how I hear it... I studied him so much... Getting F's in college, when I should've been studying, I was listening to Junior Kimbrough's music instead". Other major influences include Robert Johnson , R.L. Burnside , Clarence White , Robert Nighthawk , T-Model Ford , Hound Dog Taylor , Mississippi Fred McDowell , Kokomo Arnold , Son House , and
8300-618: The spot" with minimal equipment. After sending the demo to a dozen record labels , they accepted an offer in 2002 from a small indie label in Los Angeles named Alive , because it was "the only label that would sign [them] without having to see [them] first". According to an interview on NPR 's Fresh Air , the group's name "the Black Keys" came from an acquaintance diagnosed with schizophrenia, Alfred McMoore. He would leave incoherent messages on their answering machines referring to their fathers as " black keys " such as "D flat" when he
8400-534: The summer of 2015. During the Bataclan Theatre massacre , Auerbach and his band The Arcs were performing at the similarly sized nearby venue Le Trianon . Auerbach subsequently stated, "I know people that were there last night. I know people who are like, ‘What am I gonna do – see the Arcs or the Eagles of Death Metal?' And I've woken up feeling very out of sorts. What do you call it, survivor's remorse? Why
8500-473: The year, including Catalpa Music Festival , Coachella , Memphis in May (in 2013), Lollapalooza , and Osheaga . At the 2013 Grammy Awards , El Camino and "Lonely Boy" were nominated in five categories and were winners in three; the album won Best Rock Album , while "Lonely Boy" won Best Rock Performance and Best Rock Song . For their eighth studio album, Turn Blue , the band once again collaborated with Danger Mouse, who co-produced and co-wrote
8600-675: Was Whitney Houston with his mother at the Blossom Music Center in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio . His second concert was a Grateful Dead show with his father at the Richfield Coliseum in Richfield, Ohio . He was influenced early on by his mother's side of the family, notably his uncles who played bluegrass music . Auerbach described himself as a normal teenager in high school who smoked marijuana and captained
8700-476: Was a friend of Auerbach's father, but the younger Auerbach was recommended by a mutual friend, who was impressed by Dan's authenticity when playing the likes of RL Burnside and Junior Kimbrough. Auerbach spent 18 months playing in Sweany's band, mainly playing baritone guitar. Sweany told Guitar.com that one night after a gig, Auerbach played Sweany the mixes for the Black Keys debut album, and he knew that his time in
8800-415: Was a jam." According to music journalist Michael Gonzales, their sessions were marked by an experimentation with "dirty soul, muddy water blues, Black Ark dub science, mix-master madness, screeching guitars, old school hip-hop, gutbucket romanticism, inspired lyricism, African chats and aesthetics, pimpin' politics, strange Moogs , Kraftwerk synths and spacey noise." The musical approach also influenced
8900-724: Was a member of a band called The Barnburners before forming The Black Keys in 2001. The Barnburners included Auerbach, Jason Edwards and Kip Amore. The Barnburners were a blues -based band that performed in Northeast Ohio clubs and released a 6-track album called The Rawboogie EP . The album includes the Junior Kimbrough song "Meet Me in the City", which Auerbach later covered with The Black Keys on their Chulahoma tribute studio album. The band Fast Five toured with Auerbach in 2009. The Fast Five's other members drew from
9000-486: Was a studio album and collaboration by Auerbach and Carney of The Black Keys and Damon Dash , co-founder and former co-owner of Roc-A-Fella Records , who oversaw the project. The album featured a plethora of guest appearances from several indie and popular hip hop and R&B acts, namely Mos Def ; Nicole Wray ; Pharoahe Monch ,; Ludacris , Billy Danze of M.O.P. ; Q-Tip of A Tribe Called Quest ; Jim Jones ; and NOE of ByrdGang ; as well as Raekwon , RZA , and
9100-552: Was captain of the high school soccer team, while Carney was a social outcast. Encouraged by their brothers, the duo began jamming together in 1996, as Auerbach was learning guitar at the time and Carney owned a four-track recorder and a drum set. After graduating, both briefly attended the University of Akron before dropping out. Auerbach attempted to make a living from performing at small bars in town, but realized he would not be able to book shows in other cities without
9200-422: Was captain of the high school soccer team, while Carney was a social outcast. Encouraged by their brothers, the duo began jamming together in 1996, as Auerbach was learning guitar at the time and Carney owned a four-track recorder and a drum set. In an interview with Rolling Stone , the duo revealed that their big start came from a demo-recording session in Carney's basement. Auerbach initially went to record
9300-545: Was featured in the video games Grand Theft Auto IV and NASCAR 09 . "I Got Mine" is used as the theme song for Canadian police drama TV series The Bridge . The song was ranked number 23 on Rolling Stone ' s list of The 100 Best Singles of 2008. On October 17, 2008, the Black Keys was an opening act for fellow Akron-area band Devo at a special benefit concert at the Akron Civic Theatre for presidential candidate Barack Obama . Chrissie Hynde of
9400-494: Was it the first time that the band completed an album in a professional studio, but it was also the first time they hired an outside producer to work on a record. Danger Mouse supplemented the band's sound with instrumental flourishes and more polished production values. Released on April 1, 2008, Attack & Release debuted at number 14 on the Billboard 200. Four singles were released: " Strange Times ", " I Got Mine ", "Oceans and Streams", and "Same Old Thing". "Strange Times"
9500-502: Was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Rock Album , with "Fever" being nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Rock Song as well as the Grammy Award for Best Rock Performance . In May 2014, the Black Keys embarked on a world tour to support the album, with Cage the Elephant , Jake Bugg , and St. Vincent all separately opening for them. Several shows on the tour were cancelled after Carney broke and dislocated his shoulder in
9600-595: Was nominated for the 2011 MTV Video Music Award for Best Rock Video . In 2014, the band donated the song rights to PETA for an animal adoption ad campaign. The Black Keys were nominated for three Billboard Music Awards : Top Alternative Artist, and Top Rock Album and Top Alternative Album for Brothers . The group continued to make appearances at American music festivals throughout the year, playing at Bonnaroo, Kanrocksas , and Outside Lands . The group recorded their seventh studio album, El Camino , from March to May 2011. Splitting time between touring and recording,
9700-426: Was nominated three further times in 2020, 2021 and 2023. Also at the 2013 Grammy Awards , Auerbach won the award for Best Rock Song for his song " Lonely Boy ", Best Rock Performance for "Lonely Boy", and Best Rock Album for El Camino . In 2010, he joined the 9th annual Independent Music Awards judging panel to assist independent musicians' careers. Auerbach first married Stephanie Gonis, with whom he has
9800-509: Was released on May 14, 2021. It is their second release of hill country blues covers following the Chulahoma EP in 2006. The announcement was made through the band's Lonely Boys and Girls fan club, through which they also premiered the album's opening track, a cover of John Lee Hooker 's version of " Crawling Kingsnake ". On March 10, 2022, the group released the song "Wild Child", their first original music since Let's Rock , along with
9900-412: Was the band's final release with the independent label Fat Possum. Having fulfilled their two-album contract, the band signed with the major label Nonesuch Records . Later in May, the group released its second live album, Live in Austin, TX —also known as Thickfreakness in Austin —which was recorded in 2003. The group's music appeared in several television commercials over the course of the year; among
10000-445: Was upset with them. On March 20, 2002, the duo played their first live show at Cleveland's Beachland Ballroom and Tavern to an audience of approximately eight people. The band's debut album, The Big Come Up , was recorded entirely in Carney's basement on an 8-track tape recorder in lo-fi and was released in May 2002, three months after they signed to Alive. The album, a mix of eight original tracks and five cover songs, forged
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