A Young Jazz Musician and His Mentor Shape Music’s Future

When Birsa Chatterjee was 12 years old, his mother dropped him off at an afterschool program that aimed to shape the next generation of great jazz musicians. It was there—at Jazz House Kids—that he met the man who would become his mentor and a father figure: world-renowned saxophonist, Bruce Williams. Now, as a developed saxophonist himself, Birsa joins Bruce each year to mentor budding musicians at the Jazz House’s summer workshop. Together, they help campers prepare for an annual gig at world-famous jazz venue, Dizzy’s at Lincoln Center. It’s an opportunity to give back to the jazz community that changed Birsa’s life and help raise the game of the next generation.

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