HQBlue
“Call a tune — we’ll play it.” (as long as it’s not pop)
- Weekly Jam
- Wednesdays · 5:30 PM
- Where
- Amazon HQ2, Arlington
- Come Play
- All levels welcome
♫ About Us
HQBlue is a jazz ensemble made up of Amazonians based on the Arlington campus (HQ2). We host weekly jazz jams that are open to all Amazonians with an interest in connecting with other jazz musicians. All experience levels are welcome and encouraged to attend.
♪ Our Repertoire
Our core is classic jazz standards — the tunes in the Real Book. Because we read from lead sheets, we can pick up almost any standard on the spot: call a tune, we flip to the page and play it in the right style. Beyond the standards, we keep a few original arrangements in our back pocket and occasionally branch into other genres when a performance calls for it. Want to hear us? Catch full sets on our YouTube channel ▶.
♬ FAQs
1. How can I join a jam session?
Our weekly jam sessions are open to all Amazonians. We meet every Wednesday at 5:30 PM on the Arlington HQ2 campus. Amazonians can find us in the internal Slack channel #hq2-jazz-band — post a message letting us know you’d like to sit in at the next jam.
2. Do I need to bring anything to the jam session?
We typically play from the Real Book, so we recommend bringing a copy along with a music stand. Many jam session musicians also use iRealPro to easily transpose.
3. What is the HQBlue performance group?
HQBlue is an established jazz ensemble that performs regularly at public and internal Amazon events. While we host open jazz jams that welcome musicians of all levels, our core performing group is invitation-only to maintain our collective sound and ensemble balance. We encourage you to join our weekly jams to get to know the group and share in our love of jazz.
♬ Amazonians — gig setlists & charts live on the internal wiki.