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Both jazz and stories evoke strong emotions and feelings of connection.

Both stories and music create interpersonal brain synchronization, syncing our brains.

The meaning of stories and of jazz shifts with each retelling.

Jazz is a story. Not all stories are told in words; they are also told in emotion, communication, cadence, and rhythm. Jazz is a story told between and among people, involving improvised riffs, questions and answers, and call and response. Jazz touches our souls and syncs our brains.

Last night I was privileged to hear a remarkable story told between father and son, an intergenerational jazz story. Kenny Banks Sr. and Jr., both accomplished jazz pianists, sat together on the same piano bench at Churchill Downs, an elegant reincarnation of a revered Atlanta jazz club that just opened in Decatur, GA. The sheer exuberance, joy, and love that emerged from their performance were breathtaking. Through their musical exchange, they told a story of their relationship, both to the music and to each other. Why is music, and especially jazz, so powerfully evocative?

I often write about the power........

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