[tentative flute music] [bright trumpet music] [bright piano music] - Being in North Carolina has impacted me individually as a musician.

And I think everybody in this state as a musician because there's a lot of historical music giants that come from this area and you kinda stand on the shoulders of the people that came before you.

And there's a lotta universities that are rich in jazz around here.

So there's like a pooling system.

There's a network and it makes the North Carolina music experience great.

- [Announcer] "Offstage Live" is a production of the North Carolina Museum of Art in partnership with PBS North Carolina.

It's made possible through the generous support of the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources.

[easy going jazz music] ♪ ♪ My brown eyes gaze deep ♪ ♪ Staring at your copper tone ♪ ♪ You give me tender kisses, I give you a soft touch ♪ ♪ Just give me more of your love ♪ ♪ I know that you feel the same way ♪ ♪ And I'm thinking about you every single day ♪ ♪ I wanna love you and tell you that I told you ♪ ♪ That you are the one just shining like the sun ♪ ♪ Stay for life in my world ♪ ♪ Pray for my light, you're my girl ♪ ♪ Stay for life in my world ♪ ♪ Just pray for ♪ ♪ It's getting so cold, still walking on the beach ♪ ♪ Taking that photographs and making you laugh ♪ ♪ The sun is setting and I'm holding your hand ♪ ♪ Making memories, brown eyes, I'm such a fan ♪ ♪ Your warm vibe and your warm embrace ♪ ♪ Has got me vibing, I know that this is the place ♪ ♪ I can hold you, better yet tell you that love you ♪ ♪ You're the one ♪ ♪ So stay for life in my world ♪ ♪ Pray for my light you're my girl ♪ ♪ Pray for a light in my world ♪ ♪ Just pray, yeah ♪ ♪ (rap) Looking at the time, where'd the time go ♪ ♪ I don't know I was hoping that you'd listen to my flow ♪ ♪ For a while while we wait here by the bay there ♪ ♪ You gotta know that I've been feeling you ♪ ♪ For some time now ♪ ♪ I pass you in the hallway ♪ ♪ I try to look at you, (singing) but I shy away ♪ ♪ (rap) Feelings come over me like I want to say everything ♪ ♪ That comes through my frontal lobe ♪ ♪ Like you're so dope, can we hang ♪ ♪ Eat fruit, and drink juices when the vibe is soothing ♪ ♪ This time I'm choosing ♪ ♪ Without the possibility of losing you ♪ ♪ So can we take a flight ♪ ♪ On the wings of love tonight, yo, oversized ♪ ♪ (lead vocalist singing) Stay for a life in my world ♪ ♪ Pray for my light you're my girl ♪ ♪ Stay for life in my world ♪ ♪ Just stay ♪ (instrumental) ♪ ♪ Stay for a life in my world ♪ ♪ Just pray for my light you know that you're my girl ♪ ♪ Just stay for life in my world ♪ ♪ Just pray for ♪ ♪ Please pray for me ♪ ♪ 'Cause I need you so badly ♪ - I came from New York City and I moved to Durham, North Carolina, about six years ago and I was playing music up there.

And I kinda came down with this like a little bit of New York snob vibe.

But the musicians here have helped me grow in such a big way.

And there's like so much love in the music community here.

Where in New York, it's like really cutthroat, but here people really take the time to help each other grow.

- Let's go ahead and get some dance moves.

Two step, right step, left step, momentum seven moving fast, moving slow, whatever your flow is.

Here we go.

[peppy music] ♪ ♪ (rap) I can feel the rhythm of your blues ♪ ♪ Your funky style and your vibrant hues ♪ ♪ Reds, pinks, golds and green ♪ ♪ I see your money giving some of that honey ♪ ♪ Chocolate dipped in some cream ♪ ♪ My coffee or tea, it has no cream ♪ ♪ Strong, I lean outta the way that you lead ♪ ♪ But I see how you like it, take heed ♪ ♪ Collectively we breathe ♪ ♪ In out, in out, in, hold it ♪ ♪ Are you in control ♪ ♪ Visualize your role ♪ [easy going jazz music] ♪ [bright trumpeting] ♪ ♪ I can feel the rhythm of your blues ♪ ♪ We can feel the rhythm of your blues ♪ ♪ [pensive music] - This next song is entitled "2 AM Musings".

It's amazing how chaos in the world can create such beauty, such as compositions as this one.

Ittai Korman on bass.

[pensive music] ♪ [peppy music] ♪ [pensive music] ♪ There are some musicians that will definitely tell you you know, that you're not on your game and definitely listen to the those wise musicians that have actually been out in the world and they want to help, you know and that's the way that they feel they need to express themselves.

So they keep you on your toes.

And I'm definitely thankful for being in the midst of great musicians.

We could go down the list, I mean from, Brian Miller, Karisha Roy, Ernest Turner.

- Branford Marsalis - The list goes on.

- Coltrane.

- You know, North Carolina is definitely a hub.

[tentative drumming] [tentative music] ♪ We just a little more holiness ♪ ♪ There's a love, strength and balance ♪ ♪ Are you up for that challenge ♪ ♪ I said that we need just a little more holiness ♪ ♪ Just love, strength and balance ♪ ♪ Are you up for the challenge ♪ ♪ You know that we need just a little more holiness ♪ ♪ Just love, strength and balance ♪ ♪ Are you up for that challenge ♪ ♪ We need, we need just a little more holiness ♪ ♪ Just love, strength and balance ♪ ♪ Tell me are you up for that challenge ♪ ♪ 'Cause this is what we ask for ♪ ♪ But holiness is what we need ♪ ♪ Balance are long for us to proceed ♪ ♪ We believe in our truth and wisdom ♪ ♪ We have vision in our mission ♪ ♪ Whatever you decide, your decision ♪ ♪ No need for permission so we need ♪ ♪ Just a little more holiness ♪ ♪ Just love, strength and balance ♪ ♪ Tell me are you up, are you up, are you up ♪ ♪ Tell me are you ♪ ♪ All we need is love ♪ ♪ Are up up for that challenge ♪ ♪ I stand on your shoulders ♪ ♪ You stand on mine ♪ ♪ Unifying goals and working through the conflicts ♪ ♪ The best thing that happened was meeting you ♪ ♪ A messenger from God ♪ ♪ I told you, when we were riding in the car that day ♪ ♪ Something special, the balance that ♪ ♪ Evolves substance and blossoms imagination ♪ ♪ I listen to our love ♪ ♪ And it sounds like a melody, a symphony of great creation ♪ ♪ I'm telling you that we need a little more holiness ♪ ♪ Just love, strength and balance ♪ ♪ Tell me are you up for that challenge ♪ ♪ We need love, we need love, we need love ♪ ♪ We need love, we need love ♪ ♪ Strength and balance ♪ ♪ Tell me are you up for that challenge ♪ ♪ Are you ready, are you ready ♪ ♪ 'Cause we need just a little more holiness ♪ ♪ Just love, strength and balance ♪ ♪ Are you up for that challenge ♪ ♪ 'Cause peace is what we ask for ♪ ♪ But holiness is what we need ♪ ♪ Balances are long for us to proceed ♪ ♪ Yes we believe in our truth and wisdom ♪ ♪ We have so much vision in our mission ♪ ♪ Whatever you decide, your decision ♪ ♪ No need for permission ♪ North Carolina, South Carolina, the Research Triangle, it's a hub for musicians.

And it's been that way for a long time.

You have Nina Simone that's from North Carolina.

You have Thelonious Monk from North Carolina and it goes on and on.

So I think that's what kind of draws us all here is because of that.

- Yeah and I think I, growing up around Durham, there's something about the kind of blues and new Orleans kind of influence in the jazz music that's made that's kind of special and defining, especially 'cause New Orleans is kind of the root of all American music.

So I think that there is a level of that that kind of stays in like the Durham blues scene, that I think is, you know kind of pivotal to like an earthy thing in a way.

[jazzy music] ♪ [scatting] ♪ [scatting] ♪ [easy going music] - [Announcer] "Offstage Live" is a production of the North Carolina Museum of Art in partnership with PBS North Carolina.

It's made possible through the generous support of the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources.