The club filled quickly and the music and drinks kept them velcroed to their chairs and stools ‘til the end. We had a wonderful mix of people, which underscores that jazz is the great communal connector that embraces diversity. We had all ages, races, and sizes. We had the 21-year-old-by-days daughter of the bass player show up with her equally young date. There were four or five interracial couples combining pairs of African American, White, and Asian people. We had an easily 7-foot tall gentleman enter the club who folded himself into a chair (without anyone inanely asking if he plays basketball). There were gays sitting comfortably next to straights. And there was the rough-hewn, leather-clad couple who look as though they’ve survived more than a couple barroom brawls. They were all here with one purpose…. to enjoy the jazz group’s original music interspersed with Dexter Gordon, Coltrane. Monk, and Horace Silver tunes. With the club packed to almost fire-code capacity, there was current coursing through the crowd and the quintet. It was electrical.
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