I love jazz because it is "freedom within a framework", as Dave Brubeck so eloquently put it. Jazz has been a part of my life since an early age. I was first exposed to jazz through my father and then my drum teacher, Buddy Deppenschmidt. I studied with him for three years in the early 2000s (in my teens) and he remained a great friend up until his passing in 2021. The best show I ever attended was nothing, because it'd be too hard to choose! I've seen a lot! The first jazz record I bought was Herbie Hancock's "Headhunters" and it changed my mortal life forever, showing me how funky jazz could be and causing me to delve deeper into the genre than I ever had before. My advice to new listeners of jazz is to just be patient, listen closely and ...keep on swinging! That's jazz baby!