jam band

American

[yam band] / ˈjæm ˌbænd /

noun

a band whose live performances involve extended sections of improvisation and experimentation: originally the term applied to psychedelic rock bands such as The Grateful Dead, but usage has expanded to bands working in a variety of genres.

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

jam bands

plural

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

jam band

Bob Weir, a founding member of psychedelic jam band the Grateful Dead, has died, his family announced in a statement Saturday.

From Barron's ● Jan. 11, 2026

Across 10 tracks of lush, euphoria-driven rock ‘n’ roll, the band captured a notable tone shift in its sound that melded Southern rock, haunting folk, psychedelic soul laced with jam band energy.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 4, 2025

Veteran jam band Phish also missed out on a place - despite winning a fan vote that counted towards this year's ceremony.

From BBC ● Apr. 27, 2025

The Blues Project’s eclecticism and energy made it a jam band before the scene emerged.

From New York Times ● Nov. 20, 2022

A profile of the jam band O.A.R. stretched like a guitar solo, and correspondent Phil Lipof even went onstage to play with the band.

From Seattle Times ● Sep. 28, 2022

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023