On March 4, 2004, a handful of Jam members with an  encyclopedic knowledge of popular song performed at the A&M Roadhouse on Murray Street, inviting audience members up for a taste of the spotlight - and thus the Human Karaoke Experience was born. Three years later, their interactive musical experiment (Marty Bender, bass and keys; Fernando Menendez, drums; Tony Novarro, guitar) is still going strong, spreading the joy of music making to anyone brave or foolish enough to jump onstage. I caught up with HKE ringmaster, longtime Jam member, and proud employee of the Department of Homeland Security, Marty "Tunemeister" Bender:

JMG: Any memories of that first night?
MTB: Mostly, we had no idea what we were doing! We knew lots of songs and just invited people up to sing them. We were naive at the beginning.

JMG: So how has the HKE changed over the past three years?
MTB: We learned that we had to operate as a business. We still consider the performers our friends, but you always have to keep the interests of the venue in mind if you want to keep performing.

JMG: Obviously, you guys can't rehearse 500 songs. How do you pull it off?
MTB: At the beginning, we practiced, but now the shows serve as our rehearsals. It's my job to steer the singers - if they fall off the bike, I help them get back on. But all of us have to prepared for the unexpected. There are no books on this, and we've learned alot from doing over 100 shows. It all comes down to two things: Preparation and awareness.

JMG: It's wrong, but I enjoy some of the bad singers more than the good ones.
MTB: There are very few great singers doing karaoke. But you don't have to be a great singer to be a great performer or a great entertainer.

JMG: For a performer, it seems like a tough gig: Four and half hours where you can't let your guard down, and just one short break. And then back to work the next morning. After three years, what keeps you doing it?
MTB: The people we've met: First they were singers, then acquaintances, then friends. Those relationships are what it's all about. It really is a HUMAN experience. Music has a very transformative power, and we get to be the vehicle for that process.

This rather simple yet striking instrument is a Gibson Les Paul Swamp Ash Studio.
It's an unusual item not only in the choice of timber (Ash is not typically associated with Les Pauls), but in its almost total lack of adornment - it has no binding, paint, or even a pickguard. In fact, the satin topcoat is so subtle that you may think that the guitar is unfinished. Very cool.

Beyond its certified-sustainable body, this limited-edition instrument boasts some more traditional appointments, like a '59 rounded-profile neck, alnico magnet humbuckers, and chrome hardware. What does it sound like? If you're a Jam member, you can find out for yourself by visiting the Jam, now through March 15.

"The songs become incidental. What people receive is your joy." -Carlos Santana