Blues Jam Advice

it'll certainly help to know a lot of the "standards", but knowing the baisc 12 - bar pattern for each key should be enough. You'll learn a lot as you go. Also, a lot of these places tend to hand out the music with chords on them for you.

Might be good to go and check it out one time, but really, all of these people tend to be really nice.

yes. you should be comfortable playing tweleve bar in minor or major keys.
the lead breaks are also twelve bars, so practice your stuff to fit that amount of measure.
you do not need to know a ton of songs; they are mostly twelve bar structure.
the little frills and turn arounds could mess you up the first time, but not the second time you hear them.
keep your licks simple and remember to count or feel the count.

Thanks for the replies. I am comfortable playing some rhythm patterns in the major and minor keys. I'm working on expanding those rhythm patterns with "Art of the Shuffle" by Rubin and have his book "12 Bar Blues" to follow on with afterwards. I know 4 specific blues songs in quite good detail having worked all parts of them with my instructor (rhythms, bass lines, most of the solos). Would that be ok? I know I sound a bit nervous about it but this would really be the first time in "public" for me. I've only played with my instructor and a little bit for family.

If I want to learn the "outlines" of more songs (i.e. more than just generic patterns but not as much as transcriptions) what references would you recommend? Are any of the blues fake books worthwhile? Any information about how to use a fake book? I've looked inside some at the bookstore before and I'm not sure how I would go about turning that information into a song.

Thanks

just relax for now. don't over think it.
once you hear the bass and drums start up you will know what to expect.
the air will get smokey, the blue light will come on, voices will become raspy
and your fingers and rythym will fall right into place.
when someone nods to you ou take the next lick is when you will feel your body temperature rise.
if you are not ready just shake no. you will have another chance. but dont turn down too many offers.
and remember: KISS

keep it simple stupid

if forget that all the time. that's where the stupid comes in.

just go n have fun

Blues Jams are a ton of fun. Most of those guys will keep it simple for you if you're just starting out. Where I go (it's a fairly regular jam) there are beginners all the way up to people who have been playing 30 years. There's actually a 14 year old who could run a lot of the veterans off stage (he's better than a lot of 'professional' guitarists I've heard, and music isn't even his first love!).

What you may want to do is show up the first time and leave your guitar in the car. That way you know the feel of the place and what songs are standard. If you're feeling brave, grab your axe and wail for a while. If you're not, just keep a note of what's being done. You'll have the hang of it in no time.