As a matter of personal experience, I've found that the sessions I've been to (mostly at Ye Olde Bull and Bush in Ft. Worth, TX USA) have been a pretty good split of tune and song sessions. As a vocalist first and instrumentalist second, I loved to be able to go and sing, sing along, and listen in a group of talented musicians. Now that I'm not at said session anymore (moved to Austin), I've found that I miss the tunes more (since I can't reproduce them myself near as easily).

I've been warned about a specific session here in Austin, as a vocalist. Rumor has it that it's billed as a 'tune' session, and the key returning members strive to keep it that way (even up to the point of curtly telling my roommate - who was *asked* to sing by a patron there - that it was a *tune* session, not a *song* session, followed by leading into an upbeat tune and ignoring her for the rest of the evening). I've not been to that session, nor will I for a while (not that I don't want to, just that the pub is pretty good about evicting those under 21 after 2100), but that's probably the worst thing I've ever heard about a session.

One of the things I loved about the Bull and Bush - which I've been told is relatively lacking in some sessions - is that nobody really made it a 'performance.' (Okay, I'm guilty of doing so at times, not consistently) As a result, everyone became a part of all the songs. I know that there are those of you out there who believe that people just jumping in with you while you're doing your bit at a pub sing is tacky and without honour, but I'm all for it! That's always been the point, to me. If you don't know what I mean, try listening to the guy who just happened to have his saxophone in his car break out into St. Anne's Reel along with the fiddle after Ashokan Farewell.

Well, to answer the question posted in the topic line, I don't know. I don't think I'm qualified to answer. I'm just lobbing my two bits into the void, worth the time it took to type them or not. The people make the session, not the music, really (I hate to say it, but it's true, to me). I've been to sessions where everything was performed with pinpoint precision. In those cases, the session tends to become a performance, and a division normally forms between the 'good' players and the 'new/untrained/bad' players. I've never felt good in situations like this, because I'm normally right in the middle of those two groups. I've also been to sessions where half the songs wound up in different keys than they originated in, the guitars were all watching the same person for cues (or better yet, watching in a line leading to one person, so that the last person in the line is playing almost a half-measure behind), and the drums overpowered everything else in approximately a 10-to-1 ratio of sound and bodies (though the mind ratio is somewhat reversed ;). Those are normally the sessions I really enjoy: where the music - while important - is viewed as a means to bring a bunch of people together to have fun.

Wow... that's a mouthful... I need to lay off the caffeinne before posting!

Anyhoo... happy hollendaise to all.

-J

"Making music is like experiencing an orgasm. It can be wonderful when alone, but even the worst is best when others help you get there." -Anon. (with good reason!)