The power of storytelling in jazz lies in its ability to bridge the music and the listener, creating a shared emotional journey. Whether it’s through personal anecdotes, the legacy of greats like Monk, or the stories embedded in every note and phrase, jazz becomes more than sound—it becomes connection. It’s through these stories that the music breathes, grows, and resonates, inviting us all to become part of its ongoing narrative.

On September 7, 2024, the jazz world lost one of its greatest advocates and historians, NEA Jazz Master Dan Morgenstern. Dan was a towering figure in jazz journalism, a master storyteller, and a walking encyclopedia of jazz history. Dan Morgenstern didn’t just write about jazz—he lived it, with a passion and knowledge that set him apart. He was, quite simply, the gold standard.