A few years ago, I got immersed in Berlin’s scene for jam session jazz. My ex-girlfriend, a jazz musician, showed me these spots in the city where musicians would hang out and play late into the night. Over time, I kept going back, drawn in by the buzz of the sessions and the familiar faces that made up this underground scene. The atmosphere was edgy and unpredictable. Black-and-white photography seemed like the best way to capture that. It brought out the raw, gritty feel of the musicians and the unvarnished character of the venues. Each photo was my way of trying to distill the essence of Berlin’s jazz culture, unfiltered and real.