But those special feelings, that “immense elation and freedom, as the outlines of the confining selfhood melt down”—forgive me for quoting William James’s The Varieties of Religious Experience, but he comes closer to describing the spirit of a jazz performance than any music critic—only have been granted to me when in direct contact with musicians

Before I play the music, I describe the structural milestones in the piece they are about to hear. Then we go through the work in question—ideally several times—and see how the structure is realized in actual performance.