In high school, Kurstin focused on jazz piano, and after graduating he moved to New York to study with Jaki Byard, Charles Mingus' pianist, at the The New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music.
Later she was on your own hosting Keith Jarrett, Charles Lloyd Quartet, Phil Woods, Sonny Clark, Hampton Hawes, Jaki Byard, Tommy Flanagan, Dexter Gordon, Chet Baker, Louis Armstrong and Eubie Blake.
Jazz pianist Jaki Byard recites the title phrase at the onset of "Parisian Thoroughfare", the opening track of his album The Jaki Byard Experience.