NYC Winter Jazzfest

Cutting edge jazz for industry professionals, avid fans & new audiences. January 5-10, 2017 recognizing social justice, #blacklivesmatter, Monk at 100 & more. Visit www.winterjazzfest.com for more.

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We’re really looking forward to hearing the set of the Itamar Borochov Quartet Featuring Innov Gnawa when they play the second night of our marathon (1/13/18) at 6:40 PM at SOB’s. Israeli-born, Brooklyn-based trumpeter & composer Itamar Borochov connects lower Manhattan to North Africa, modern Israel and ancient Bukhara, celebrating traces of the divine that he finds in elegant sophistication, Middle Eastern tradition and downhome blues. Borochov brings a unique sound with him wherever he goes. Deeply immersed in the jazz tradition, Borochovʼs search for his personal roots resulted in an ever-expanding love for Arab and Pan-African musical sensibilities – a natural palette for a trumpeter-composer raised in Jaffa, an integrated Muslim-Jewish-Christian city. After working with such legendary artists as Curtis Fuller and Cándido Camero, and having served as arranger and co-producer for acclaimed world music sensation Yemen Blues, Borochov set out on his own path. Innov Gnawa is a young musical collective dedicated to exploring Morocco’s venerable gnawa music tradition in the heart of New York City. The group draws on the talents and expertise. This set and the sentiments that it delivers are integral to our mission at the #NYCWJF and hope you catch their set as you make your way through the marathon!

We asked Itamar a few questions which you can read below!

1: How do you see your music as a catalyst for inspiration and social change? In my eyes music is the language of the soul, meaning eternal, all knowing, and sees no boundaries. Coming from the one of the most war infested places on earth, I offer my music as a voice of peace, hope, positive change, and good times, to our world. Playing with Innov, noting that I am an Israeli jew, and they are Morrocan muslims, is a call for change, and a musical ecstasy.

2: What is jazz? Black American music rooted in blues, swing, and innovative sophistication

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Jazz Singer Lucia Cadotsch will make her U.S. Debut in January 2018 at our #NYCWJF with her Berlin-based “Speak Low” trio featuring saxophonist Otis Sandsjö and bassist Petter Eldh with pianist Elias Stemeseder as a special guest. This performance will take place in the first night of the marathon (1/12/18), Zinc Bar at 10:20 PM. Lucia, Otis & Petter will be performing music from their debut album, “Speak Low”, which earned five-star raves in both DownBeat and The Guardian along with glowing reviews for its companion remix album, Speak Low Renditions. The Guardian declared: “Remember the name Lucia Cadotsch – you’re going to be hearing a lot of it.“ Along with glowing reviews, Lucia won the 2017 Echo Jazz Prize – the German equivalent of a Grammy Award – for Best Vocalist of the Year for Speak Low. She and her Swedish friends Otis and Petter bring the bittersweet repertoire of Billie Holiday, Nina Simone, Abbey Lincoln and Dinah Washington vividly alive for a new generation of listeners, as well as for veteran music lovers in search of fresh treatments of these timeless songs. Don’t miss them!

We asked Lucia a question which she was kind enough to answer below!

What is jazz? Jazz is a spirit, a way of living, a celebration of diversity. Freedom!

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We’re really looking forward to the performance by the South Carolina based group Ranky Tanky at this year’s #NYCWJF. They’ll be performing on our marathon’s 2nd evening (1/13/18) at The Bitter End at 7:20 PM. The soulful songs of the Gullah culture are brought to life by Ranky Tanky who mix the low country traditions with large doses of jazz, gospel, funk, and R&B. Fresh out of college, trumpeter Charlton Singleton, guitarist Clay Ross, bassist Kevin Hamilton, and drummer Quentin Baxter originally worked together as an in-demand jazz quartet on the Charleston scene in the late 1990s before splitting off to each make their way as freelance musicians, working with names like Houston Person, Freddy Cole, Cyro Baptista, and René Marie. Gaining years of valuable experience while developing a deeper appreciation for the South Carolina Gullah tradition they came from, the band reformed with the dynamic vocalist Quiana Parler to celebrate the bone-deep mix of spirituals and gutbucket blues that mark the low country mainland and Sea Islands – music made by a self-contained culture of descendants of enslaved Africans that introduced such indelible parts of American songbook as “Kum Bah Yah” and “Michael Rowed the Boat Ashore.” The word “Gullah” comes from West Africa and means “a people blessed by God,” and “Ranky Tanky” translates loosely as “Work It,” or “Get Funky!” This will be a must-see event so don’t miss this rare NYC appearance of this amazing project.

We asked Ranky Tanky a few questions and they were kind enough to answer below!

1: How do you see your music as a catalyst for inspiration and social change?  We are a musical family. The sounds we make reflect our deep mutual respect, admiration, and love for one another and the regional culture of our low-country home. With our music, we strive to honor our ancestors as well as our neighbors. We believe that anchoring ourselves in the wisdom of our predecessors gives us the strength to move into the future. Through our music, we hope to share where our culture has been, where it has arrived, and where it someday may go. We feel that our Gullah folk songs speak from the purest heart of humanity and are imbibed with the mysteries of nature and the essence of life. We want to share these beautiful emotions, stories, and lessons from our Carolina home with you.

What is Jazz? Jazz is the sound of multiculturalism and diversity.  

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At the #NYCWJF this year, we’re thrilled to have The Jamie Baum Septet + “Bridges” playing on our marathon’s first night (1/12/18) @subculture_nyc at 7:40 PM. Baum has toured the US and over 30 countries performing at major festivals and concert halls throughout the world to much acclaim. She’s been a regular on the DownBeat’s Critics poll annually since 1998 in the “Top Flutists” category and was # 1 Rising Star Flutist in 2012. Her band is really top shelf and features some Winter JazzFest regulars – Amir ElSaffar (trumpet, vox), Sam Sadigursky (alto sax/bass clarinet), Chris Komer (French horn), Brad Shepik (guitar), John Escreet (piano), Zack Lober (bass, singing bowl), Jeff Hirshfield (drums). Don’t miss this fantastic group!

We asked Jamie some questions which she was kind enough to answer –

1: How do you see your music as a catalyst for inspiration and social change?  Our music represents a “bridge”, highlighting the similarities found in diverse religious music traditions that connect us, expressed in a modern jazz/improvisatory format played by musicians of those various backgrounds. Including influences from Jewish, Arabic/Muslim and HIndu/South Asian music, the band transforms Baum’s 2014 Guggenheim Award composition project into a unique, high-energy, exciting tapestry taking the listener into territory that feels both familiar and unknown. Compositions include “Song Without Words”, a gentle, soulful  ballad influenced by “Kol Nidre” (an Aramaic declaration recited in the Jewish synagogue before the beginning of the evening service on every Yom Kippur) sung by Amir ElSaffar; “Mantra”, a composition co-composed by Baum and Nepali musician Navin Chettri, based on a Hindu chant to help overcome the fear, and “Joyful Lament”, a high-energy, rock-tinged arrangement of the Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan song. The Jamie Baum Septet+ CD “Bridges,” conceived in 2013, before there was any mention of a “Border Wall,“ feels more relevant, vital and necessary today then could have been anticipated!

2: What is Jazz? Jazz - a musical tradition that expands and embraces all influences.

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We’re really thrilled that the infectious spirit of vocalist Jazzmeia Horn will be performing at our #NYCWJF this year, on the 2nd night of our festival’s marathon (1/13/18) at 7:00 PM at Zinc Bar. Her band The Artistry of Jazz Horn will be fantastic and you should certainly catch them - Victor Gould (piano), Barry Stephenson (bass), Henry Conerway III (drums), Marcus Miller (saxophone), Corey Wallace (trombone), Josh Evans (trumpet) with Horn on vocals. Winner of the 2015 Thelonius Monk International Vocal Jazz Competition and 2013 Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition, Jazzmeia Horn has a name that speaks for itself capturing her very essence. Hailing from the great Dallas, Texas Jazzmeia has already earned a reputation in New York as a “Rising Star.” With the ambition to pursue a solo career, Jazzmeia graced the New York scene in 2009 and earned her degree at The New School for Jazz and contemporary Music . It wasn’t much later when she began to perform as a sideman with musicians Winard Harper, Junior Mance, Billy Harper, Lincoln Center Alumni Vincent Gardner, Delfeayo Marsalis, Mike LeDonne, Peter Bernstein, Johnny O’Neal, Vincent Herring, Kirk Lightsey, Frank Wess, and Ellis Marsalis. She currently is teaching artist in The NJPAC Well’s Fargo­Jazz for Teens Program and Jazz In The Schools Program in Newark, New Jersey. Don’t miss The Artistry of Jazz Horn for yourself!

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This year we’re psyched to have the inimitable Ryan Keberle Ryan Keberle & Catharsis perform their Music as Protest suite to our #NYCWJF attendees. This group, which has been thrilling audiences worldwide for close to a decade, will perform on our marathon’s first night (1/12/18) at The Bitter End at 10:40PM. This iteration features Keberle (trombone, keyboards), Camila Meza (voice, guitar), Steve Wilson (alto and soprano saxophone), Noam Wiesenberg (acoustic and electric bass), Jeremy Dutton (drums) Catharsis brings together elements of chamber music, South American folk and indie rock within a traditional jazz framework, resulting in a sound all its own. In Catharsis, the potent frontline rapport of Keberle and saxophonist Steve Wilson and the unshakable rhythm of bassist Noam Weisenberg and drummer Jeremy Dutton combine in a sound full of drama and intrigue. The guitar and vocals of Camila Meza have also come to shape the band’s chemistry and unmistakable ensemble sound. The band was featured in NPR’s prestigious Tiny Desk Concert series and on the French TV channel Mezzo. Catharsis band members bring an impressive wealth of experience of their own, playing an integral role in many of today’s foremost jazz and Latin jazz ensembles, including bands led by Maria Schneider, Christian McBride, Chick Corea, Shai Maestro, Miguel Zenon, Jose James and many more.

Ryan kindly answered some questions for us from our questionnaire and they’re listed below!

1: How do you see your music as a catalyst for inspiration and social change?  When was America actually ‘great’? The real history of this country, especially for those less fortunate, is an ugly one. Yet in 2016, rather than striving to move forward and build on the real momentum of the past eight years, over 60 million Americans chose to move backward. Forward progress is so simple to attain when you boil it down. It’s about one thing: COMPASSION and EMPATHY for others. Catharsis strives to impart this message to our audience through sophisticated yet heartfelt music and in the process we hope to make our fans better listeners, not just to music, but to each other.

2: What is jazz? Jazz is music that inspires creativity, empathy, and community via improvisation.

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On our #NYCWJF marathon’s first evening (1/12/18) at 11:20 PM at Bowery Electric, the lauded and fantastic Rudresh Mahanthappa’s Indo-Pak Coalition will perform. Hailed by The New York Times as “a trio equally grounded in folk tradition and jazz improvisation, propos[ing] a social pact as well as a musical ideal.” The ensemble’s three formidable talents — Mahanthappa on alto saxophone, Rez Abbasi on guitar, and Dan Weiss on tabla — have been honing their unique approach for years. A vibrant presence of Indian rhythmic and melodic elements in a charged, modern improvisational framework born of the New York jazz scene, remains at the band’s core. This performance and their second record comes at a propitious time for all three members: Mahanthappa has enjoyed great success with his Bird Calls quintet and recently became Director of Jazz Studies at Princeton University. Abbasi, born in Karachi, Pakistan and raised in California, has revealed a rare mastery of guitar in a range of settings including his own RAAQ acoustic quartet and his heavily electric project, Junction. Weiss, a voraciously eclectic drummer with interests ranging from classical tabla performance to metal, has garnered acclaim for his work ranging from solo drums to trio to large ensemble. From all three instruments we hear a heightening of expressive nuance and possibility. Mahanthappa’s alto is transformed in places by software-driven effects to create strange processed timbres, echoes, decays and soundscapes. Don’t miss this tremendous band.

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On our marathon’s 2nd evening (1/13/18) we’re really quite happy to have the Marquis Hill Blacktet performing at the New School Jazz Building’s 2nd floor theater at 8 PM. Marquis Hill first burst into wide prominence after his 2014 win at the Thelonious Monk competition where he dazzled the jury of jazz superstars and fans worldwide. He subsequently released an album on Concord Records and has gone on to record and perform with luminaries such as Joe Lovano and RonCarter, along with various other sideman gigs internationally. But his main focus continues to be the Blacktet – his visionary quintet, which features the talents of Joshua Johnson (alto saxophone), Joel Ross (vibraphone), Jeremiah Hunt (bass), Makaya McCraven (drums)​.​Their ultra modern sensibility, filled with feeling, soul, and vibe will surely transport audiences and we couldn’t be more excited to present them. Don’t miss it!

We asked Marquis a few questions which he kindly answered for us below!

1: How do you see your music as a catalyst for inspiration and social change? I believe that it is an artist’s job to create art that reflects the present. Art that is fresh and in the moment. My goal is to use my music and platform to do just that – create music that teaches, lifts, motivates and inspires people.

2: What is Jazz? Jazz is a 4 letter word that was coined and used throughout American history to describe a style of music that was created by black people in America.

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Legendary bassist Jamaaladeen Tacuma needs little in the way of introduction, and we're really eager for his set at Subculture on our marathon's 2nd evening, late at night: 1:00AM (technically Jan 14). After lending his thick and undeniable electric bass tone to Ornette Coleman's Prime Time for over a decade (starting in his late teens), Tacuma has led a prolific career spanning many styles, genres, and approaches. For his #NYCWJF gig, he'll bring along his band Brotherzone featuring Ronny Drayton (guitar), Daryl Burgee (drums, percussion), Wadud Ahmad (spoken word), Abiodun Oyewole (lastpoet_abiodun, of The Last Poets as a special guest), with Tacuma (bass). This will be a harmolodic wonderland so please stay up for this special show! 

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From Chicago, IL we're pleased to present Sidewalk Chalk in association with Revive Music Group during our #NYCWJF Marathon Jan 12 at @sobsnyc at 9:20PM. Their music is a speeding bullet ripe with heat and rhythm that speaks to mankind’s need to cheer in the darkest of moments and to choose love over inhumanity in all things. In the band’s rebirth is an emphatic statement of purpose. This vibrant collection of transformative moments is a benchmark release for Sidewalk Chalk that marks the arrival of a powerhouse and proves that the Chicago sound machine is a phoenix rising. They just released their fourth record, "An Orchid is Born" on Ropeadope Records and it showcases in the clearest way yet, their signature blend of soul, jazz, hiphop and rhythm and blues. The album was produced by @recordingacademy award winner Robert “Sput” Searight (musical director for Snarky Puppy) which should give an idea of their aesthetic. To see it live make sure to catch the first night of the marathon! Tickets here - https://venuepilot.co/events/15543/orders/new

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We're stoked to be presenting the British sensation Sons of Kemet at this year's #NYCWJF, Friday Jan 12 at 7:40 PM at @lprnyc. Sons of Kemet was born of many vital elements – including a name that nods to ancient Egyptian culture, and a line-up that comprises some of the most progressive 21st-century talents in British jazz and beyond. Band-leader, composer and sax and clarinet don Shabaka Hutchings (himself named after a Nubian pharaoh-philosopher) brings together his fiery vision alongside London-based bandmates Max Hallett and Eddie Hick (forming a dynamo drum duo) and Theon Cross on tuba. These collaborative players have previously won major praise in celebrated acts such as Polar Bear, Hello Skinny, Melt Yourself Down, Mulatu Astatke & The Heliocentrics and Sun Ra Arkestra. Yet there’s still nothing quite like the ‘supergroup’ sound of Sons Of Kemet: eloquent, fierce, explosively funky – and thrillingly out-there. Sons of Kemet will be one of many British jazz acts performing at our festival this year (Photo by Tom Barnes) We asked Sons of Kemet a few questions and they were kind enough to reply! Read below.

1: How do you see your music as a catalyst for inspiration and social change? A wholistic approach to these times of struggle and change demands that every aspect of our lives sets us on the path to more feeling, more imagination, more receptiveness to ideas that challenge our pre-conceived reality. Creative Music has a vital role to play in readying people for the traits that have to be centered in the ongoing fight against racism, sexism, homophobia etc. We need to see the concert hall, the club, the place of play as ceremonial spaces where music serves as a catalyst for dreams of far reaching utopias. 

2: What is jazz? A signifier depicting the imaginative ideals of its practitioners

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Kate Gentile's New Quartet will surely be a blast on January 13 at 9:20 PM at @thenewschool 2nd Floor performance space at 55 W 13th Street (2nd Floor). With their intricate, memorable, and well-executed compositions all from drummer Gentile’s prolific pen. This band, featuring Matt Mitchell on piano and keyboards, Jeremy Viner on saxophone and clarinet, and Kim Cass on bass, is essentially the same band that gave us Gentile's 2017 debut, "Mannequins" on Skirl Records. That record caused a huge stir for its compositional fluency, its obvious and apparent vision, and exciting take on many clear aesthetic touchstones — namely the music of Tim Berne, Craig Taborn & Jim Black as well as contemporary classical, metal, free improvisation, etc.This band is a must-see!⠀

We asked Kate a few questions which she answered below!

1: How do you see your music as a catalyst for inspiration and social change? My own music is "music for music's sake", and so is most of the music that has inspired me the most. The act of creation represents the greatest good, and making original music in the face of economic struggle, political turmoil and social injustices is inherently inspiring to me, and hopefully to others as well.

2: What is Jazz? an American music genre often including swing, improvisation, and blues.

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We're sure that Jaimie Branch and her group Fly or Die will transport this year's #NYCWJF audiences. Although Branch has been a pivotal force in the American free improv scene for over a decade (with notable stints in Chicago and Baltimore before landing in NYC), Fly or Die on @intlanthem was her true debut recording. And what a debut it is! Lauded by many publications in their "Top 10" and "Best of" lists for 2017, Fly or Die is certainly the zeitgeist and we're thrilled to have them. For this special performance Branch, drummer Chad Taylor, and bassist Jason Ajemian will be joined by vibraphonist Joel Ross subbing for Tomeka Reid. They’ll be playing on our festival’s first night (Jan 12) at NUBLU at 8:00PM. (photo by @sonicbeet ) We asked Jaimie a few questions which she kindly answered and which you can read below!

1: How do you see your music as a catalyst for inspiration and social change? We either fly together or die apart -- music is communion, a connection of souls, the universal language...

2: What is jazz? jazz is energy, an expression of the world around us

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This year at the #NYCWJF we're ecstatic that Mark Guiliana Jazz Quartet will be performing at Le Poisson Rouge on the 2nd night of our marathon, at 9PM. Guiliana released one of the best jazz records of 2017 with “Jersey” on Motema Music. The band is first rate and features the talents of bassist Chris Morrissey, saxophonist Jason Rigby, and pianist Fabian Almazan. Mark Guiliana has become recognized as one of the world’s leading drummers, admired and in demand across the spectrum from jazz to rock to electronic music for his rhythmic sophistication, creative impulse, and individual sound. He has been in the vanguard of drummers creating a new vernacular on the instrument, blending virtuosity on acoustic drums with artfully deployed electronic #beats and #electronicprocessing. Guiliana was chosen as Best Jazz Drummer in the Modern Drummer Readers Poll 2017, while DownBeat Magazine dubbed him a Rising Star in its 2017 Critics Poll. 📷 by Sherwin Lainez

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We're thrilled that the Grammy winning, Brazilian singer and composer Luciana Souza will be returning to our #NYCWJF stage with Word Strings, her new project dealing with words and poetry, featuring guitarist Chico Pinheiro and Scott Colley. In many of her recordings and past projects, Souza has paid tribute to poets and poetry - setting the poems of Elizabeth Bishop, Pablo Neruda, e.e. cummings, Gary Snyder to music. For Word Strings, Luciana revisits some of these poets and includes new settings of poems by Leonard Cohen, Octavia Paz and others. Their set is at SUBCULTURE​ ​(45 BLEECKER STREET)​ at​ ​7:40pm on our marathon’s 2nd night (JAN 13). photo by Kim Fox

We asked Luciana a few questions which she kindly answered for us below! 

1: How do you see your music as a catalyst for inspiration and social change? I hope the music we make provides a space for folks to stop, listen, and feel things. With the acceleration of everything in the world, I believe we need to allow time for contemplation and reflection. 2: What is jazz? For me, Jazz relates to freedom, curiosity, and a searching spirit.  It requires that we commune, that we listen, that we react, and that we reveal what’s most honest in us.

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We're very excited that the outspoken saxophonist James Brandon Lewis will be presenting his brand new quintet UNRULY NOTES at our festival this year. The band features Warren Trae Crudup III (drums), Luke Stewart (bass) , Anthony Pirog (guitar), Jaimie Branch (jaimiebranch). This is an expanded version of his acclaimed trio with Crudup & Stewart and will be the group's premiere at #NYCWJF. (photo by Diane Alford). Their performance is at ZINC BAR​ ​(82 W 3RD STREET, NYC)​ ​on the Marathon’s first night (JAN 12) at 11:40PM. Don’t miss it! We asked James a few questions which he graciously answered and which you can read below.

1: How do you see your music as a catalyst for inspiration and social change? My music is a reflection of a lived experienced through sound, dismantling or sparking conversations that deal with race. Through titles giving light to issues. For example my piece "Unarmed with A Mic" points toward the power of words with a mic and not a gun, but also reflective of not being armed but being killed.

2: What is Jazz? A lived experienced then painted with sound 

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KNOWER is a searing hot group from Los Angeles spearheading a new musical movement, featuring a maniacally off-world experience featuring hyper-precision Funk drummer Louis Cole and soulful vocalist Genevieve Artadi. We're pleased that they'll be performing at #NYCWJF on the second night (JAN 11, 2018) at @lprnyc with Shara Nova aka My Brightest Diamond and the funky @nobsbrass-blog kick things off setting the stage for singer Jose James’ “Lean on Me: The Music Bill Withers.” KNOWER have come to prominence and notoriety for their viral YouTube videos and DIY bandcamp releases. Their exclusive sound comes from the use of catchy melodies, hard-hitting funk beats and unexpected harmonies. KNOWER's purpose is to create a deeply moving feeling among audiences (YES YOU ARE INVITED TO DANCE). For this performance, they’ve enlisted LA colleagues Dennis Hamm, Sam Gendel and Sam Wilkes. Don’t miss this evening of edges-of-jazz experimentation and innovation.

We asked them a few questions for our artist questionnaire this year and their great answers are below!

1: How do you see your music as a catalyst for inspiration and social change? Lyrically and musically, we don't limit ourselves to categories, or rules. we give ourselves the freedom to explore whatever subject matter and whatever styles we have the urge to explore. sometimes it's talking humorously about privacy being taken away from us by our government over a crazy electronic blast, sometimes it's a personal love song in a 80s ballad style with strings, sometimes it's singing about how the 9 to 5 system sucks balls to a medium funk beat with a bunch of modulations. i give myself the permission to be a female and be half naked or dressed for space and not think about what it means other than that i'm doing what i feel like doing. i am the daughter of 2 immigrants from the philippines with a bunch of ethnicities mixed in there, and louis is a white dood from malibu, and we DON’T define our music with that. i guess that's the message, to do what you absolutely feel like doing instinctively, but also use your brain to craft it in a beautiful way. and if you're honest about it, all the parts of yourself with show, and it will tell people they can be free too. What is jazz? depth, spontaneity, rebelliousness, internal dance, technical sophistication in one place.