This episode is sponsored by the Learned Jazz Standards Inner Circle.

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That's LJSinnerCircle.com or find the link in the show notes. Now, on to today's episode.

When we play jazz music and when we practice jazz

music, it's important that we remember that it is African-American music and it was born out

of slavery. It was born out of racism, injustice, oppression, and it developed under injustice

and oppression. And music is always the reflection of the times. It's always a

reflection of the people who are playing the music. And we can never untie jazz and playing

jazz or not connect the two together. They are so intertwined. And so it's important that when we

play this music, we have a reverence, we have an understanding of what this music really means, just even outside of the notes and the theory and how to play it.

Now, I'm not the right person to deliver this message, obviously. So I've got a very special guest

on the show today, multi-instrumentalist, educator, and jazz aficionado, Kyle Younger, to share what jazz music means. Not only what it

means to the African American community, but what it should mean to us and what we should think

about when we play this music. All right. Let's do this thing. Welcome to the LJS podcast, where you

get weekly jazz tips, interviews, stories, and advice for becoming a better

jazz musician.

And now your host.

He's a jazz musician, author, and entrepreneur, Brent Bartstra.

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