Radio Workshop

The Wall Street Jammers (Transcript)

by Laura Santini

Santini: On Monday, they start arriving at 7 p.m. They wear dark suits. They clutch briefcases in one hand and guitar cases in the other. About 20 guys show up, most are middled-aged -- and despite long hours of work in a bad economy, this group manages to make its way to the Jam tonight. Here is where they will rock out and repair the damage of a day on Wall Street.

Bennett: It started out mostly as people, you know, coming over after a bull market and blowing off a little steam on guitar and now has expanded to really be a social network for a lot of people who play music as a hobby.

Santini: Bill Bennett purchased The Off Wall Street Jam five years ago and has expanded the business by arranging Friday night gigs for Off Wall Street Jam's 400 or so members. Most play at Tribeca bars like the Red Lion.

The Jam itself is housed in a landmark building on Murray Street that isn't much to look at. But for $324.75 a year, members have access to practice space, instruments, recording equipment, and they get to know other players they might someday perform with.

Attorney Carlos Cabrales is a veteran.

Cabrales: So after I finished law school, I had my equipment and I'm like, ah man, I wish I could play again, I wish I could play again, and--you know, this is literally about 10 years ago--and I found this place, and before you know it, I was coming here like three times a week, and I was in five bands and I just couldn't get enough of it.

Santini: Cabrales' current band, Not Enough Practice, attempts everything from Led Zeppelin to Radiohead, The Police and Black Sabbath.

Cabrales: It's fun. It's just a chance to let that creative side of you come out. You could also show up and just jam--or you could show up and play...like tonight I'm playing something...we're covering very popular tunes that are being played on the radio now so we have to be a little more accurate. So, you can have that type of discipline or you can just come and jam at the jazz jam and just, play, so that's great. Yeah.

Santini: But some members seem to enjoy just playing loud.

Bennett: And that's when people really just want to let off steam...by turning up.

Santini: To that end, Bennett arranges a special show called the Volumania Series -- he's up to Volumania 7 -- there, all the loudest bands of the Off Wall Street Jam perform together, and listeners receive free ear plugs at the door.

Music fades