Ann Adair

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I love jazz because I feel a deep sense of connection to it. As a musician, I find jazz to be the most fulfilling musical experience to me on every level. I was first exposed to jazz through my parents at home. I started playing piano in jazz band in middle school, and continued playing through college. I’ve met a lot of jazz musicians, but Wynton Marsalis and Paul Hanson have to be my favorites. The best show I ever attended was the Wynton Marsalis Quintet at EPCOT in 1984, days before I graduated from high school. This concert was pivotal in my understanding of jazz. The first jazz record I bought was... I have absolutely no idea. That was long, long ago. My advice to new listeners is to see and listen to as much live music as you can. Get as close as you can afford. Take chances. Every performance is unique. Enjoy it and stop analyzing it. Just like people, food, other music, clothes, colors... everyone has favorites and likes different things. Take pleasure in the great diversity of jazz! Intellectually, jazz checks all the boxes: artistry, creativity, individual agency, group chemistry, freedom, restriction, tension, release, and so much more. Emotionally, jazz fills in every shade. The well-crafted solo is the most intimate of musical communication. Listen deeply. Listen closely. This is truth. Accept it. Let it soak in.

I haven’t yet, but I think it’s in my future.

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