The Jazz and Blues of Homemade Jam
Are they Wichita Falls youngest live band?
TheFUSE first heard about Homemade Jam, a young Wichita Falls jazz and blues band, from Bill Andersen at 6th Street Winery. Bill is a big fan of these young men and spoke highly of them, so when we spotted an opportunity to check them out during a live performance at Collective Coffee, we jumped at it. We were not disappointed.
Homemade Jam is a five-piece band comprised of Carter Koski on guitar, Lawson Kisner on sax, Ty Solis on drums, Kole Skipper on keys, and Chase Williams on bass. The group is one of Wichita Falls’ youngest gigging bands — Solis has one more year to go in high school and the other four members just graduated in 2024 — and it is outstanding to see a great example of young people making music on real instruments.
At this performance, we heard Homemade Jam’s unique versions of classic tracks like Stevie Wonder’s Superstition, plus jazz standards and recognizable blues selections, with the highlight of each song typically coming from a blazing solo by Carter Koski on guitar, or Lawson Kisner on the sax. Carter’s guitar leads even included impressive tapping, and at times, Lawson’s sax came out in a dirty, distorted wail that reminded us of Lenny Pickett. When the two of them get into a groove and start trading solos in a call-and-response fashion, it’s something to see.
Don’t misunderstand — Homemade Jam is an understated, easy-to-listen-to combo that allows those in the audience to have conversation, but if you’re paying attention to the music, you can be impressed with their performances. Homemade Jam is the perfect soundtrack for a relaxing night out with friends.
From behind his keyboard, Kole Skipper served as the emcee for the performance, a job he was elected to by the other members of his band, and he was engaging in the role. He said it was only Homemade Jam’s fifth gig since they started, and there are areas in which we’ll likely see this band grow and improve in the future. For example, we thought we’d like to see Lawson come out from behind his sheet music stand and step to the front with Koski during some of their impressive solos. Nevertheless, Homemade Jam is a talented, promising young band, and we’ll be keeping our eyes open for their performances in the future.
What do you think of Homemade Jam? Have you seen these young men perform? Tell us about it in the comments.
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Thank you so much for giving these wonderful young men a little spotlight. We were lucky enough to have them at 6th Street Winery and everyone was so impressed with their talent, maturity, and humble attitude. These gentlemen will go far in life!
I was able to enjoy a FRONT ROW seat last night at a private performance for an annual office gathering. It was exactly as described! Thanks for taking the time to meet, enjoy and write about Homemade Jam! I'm excited to follow them on their journey.