Baldwin uses jazz music to express deep connections, especially in Sonny’s case. For Sonny, jazz serves as a refuge from the hard times of his life. Since he was young, he used jazz as an escape, a way to try to find himself, and or even as an act of rebellion, specially after his mother’s death, Sonny spent long hours at the piano, playing in the house but not truly living there. By this time, he was already using drugs, and he told to his brother that he was trying to escape from drugs at that time, when he wanted to leave Harlem. This is why I believe he also used his music as a form of escape. In the taxi on the way to his brother’s house, he explained that his addiction was not connected to his music and never had been, but his brother didn’t fully understand him.

At the end, the sense of community through jazz becomes clear when they enter the club, and the doorman says hello to Sunny, appreciating he was there. Sonny’s brother is surprised about how much people appreciate his brother there.

All the musicians are connected through jazz, each in a unique way, and that is the way they play their unique instruments. Jazz is a safety net for them, a place to find shelter from life’s storms, even though each has faced different challenges.

The power of artistic expression and the musicians’ love for their music is so strong that Sonny’s brother finally feels it. Through Sonny’s music, he connects with his own pain the loss of his daughter, the memory of his father’s brother, and the grief of his wife. This artistic expression allows him to truly feel and understand what is happening on stage.

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