Episode 5504

	Sesame Street
	Jam Session Jam Up
Air date	February 6, 2025 (HBO Max); December 1, 2025 (PBS)
Season	Season 55 (2025)
Directed by	Todd E. James
Sponsors	M, 0

Picture	Segment	Description
	COLD OPEN	Elmo is introducing today's theme by playing his electric piano, asking viewers to guess what it is. Cookie Monster guesses cookie, while Abby shows up with an electric guitar. Elmo reveals the theme is music, and Cookie Monster plays a jazzy saxophone rendition of "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star."
	SCENE 1	Hoots the Owl welcomes everybody to the Sesame Street Jazz Festival. Hoots explains what jazz music is, starting with drums as Mama Bear starts performing. Herry Monster is playing the bass, Freddy is playing the piano, and Louie is playing the saxophone. All together forms the sound of jazz.
	SCENE 1 cont'd	Elmo, Zoe, and Tamir are looking around, as Tamir loves the sound of the festival. Elmo starts scatting. When Tamir admires Elmo for his scatting, Zoe asks what that is. It's a form of jazz singing that uses the voice instead of an instrument. Gabrielle informs Tamir he is onstage after the band takes its first break. Both her auntie, and grandma are running the festival, while Gabrielle is the assistant-assistant deputy stage manager. Tamir explains how the Festival of Jazz is a huge part of his family's tradition, and even has a jazz record of his great-great grandpa playing the trumpet. Gabrielle is informed the singer is here.
	SCENE 1 cont'd	Hoots announces the band is going to take a break. Grover shows up excited about the jam session, and brought his own "Jam"... a living strawberry bottle of Jam (Leslie Carrara-Rudolph). Elmo explains a jam session is not that kind of jam. Tamir tells him it involves musicians taking turns playing music together, as it's called "jamming". Both Grover and Jam are a little confused, but Elmo reassures them that everybody is invited to play at the big jam session at the end of the concert. Grover says he will play with his jazz band, much to Elmo's confusion. Grover has a one-monster jazz band.
	SCENE 1 cont'd	Hoots introduces Samara Joy. She sings a jazzy rendition of the Sesame Street Theme with Mama Bear and the Monsters performing backup. Hoots informs everybody afterwards there will be a short break, but the Sesame Street Jam Session will be swinging.
	SCENE 1 cont'd	Zoe wonders how long it took for Louie to play those notes. Tamir informs her he made them up, much to Zoe's surprise. Tamir tells her one of the things that makes jazz is the improvisation. Tamir hears Grover struggling in the background, and leaves to go help him. Elmo tells Zoe about how he loves hearing his dad play the saxophone, as he imitates the sounds. Zoe likes the way Elmo is imitating the sound, and gets the idea of the two of them being in a band together. Elmo loves the idea, and Zoe plays a pretend trombone. When it's Elmo's turn, Zoe continues playing, leaving him annoyed. Elmo tells Zoe he's going to play somewhere else. Zoe is surprised that Elmo is leaving their band, but he tells her he can't play with her if she's not letting him have his turn.
	SCENE 1 cont'd	Tamir brings along Samara Joy, as he notices something is wrong by Elmo's expression. Elmo is angry and left Zoe's band as Zoe wasn't letting Elmo have a turn at playing. Samara tells Zoe that jazz isn't just playing, it's also listening. Jazz musicians know how to listen to their friends and take turns. Samara demonstrates by asking Hoots to play on his saxophone. Hoots plays and Samara scats what he's playing afterwards. She encourages everybody to try as everybody takes turns to scat to the music Hoots is playing. Once everyone is done, Grandma Nell informs Tamir that Grover is stuck in his tuba, and asks to get cooking oil from the kitchen. Gabrielle informs everyone break time is over, and Kayla thanks Samara for joining the Sesame Street Jazz Festival.
	SCENE 1 cont'd	Hoots asks Elmo and Zoe if they're going to join in on the jam session at the end of the festival. They're both feeling conflicted as Elmo would like that. Zoe would too, and apologizes to Elmo for not listening and taking turns. Elmo apologizes to Zoe for leaving her earlier. Zoe accepts the apology, and tells him to call her Z-Bop, Zoe's new jazz name. Elmo likes it.
	SCENE 1 cont'd	Kayla sings a jazz rendition of "Sing." Tamir is playing drums, and Nell is playing the piano. Now, the moment everyone has been waiting for: the big Sesame Street Jam Session as others join in. Bert tells Ernie that you can play jazz on almost any instrument including the harp, accordion, and tuba. Ernie includes the duck. Bert gets annoyed and tells Ernie a duck is not an instrument, but Rubber Duckie begs to differ. Hoots gets the idea of playing the song, "Rubber Duckie." Elmo and Zoe perform their music together, and take turns playing their pretend instruments to the music.
	Muppets	Celebrating Me, Celebrating You, Celebrating Us Elmo surprises the Two-Headed Monster before it's time to find out the letter of the day... (First: Episode 5502)
	Muppets	The Sesame Street friends dance and sing waiting to discover which letter will be the letter of the day. Today, it's M.
	Song	"Music's in the Air" (First: Episode 4827)
	Muppets	Elmo and Tango hear the sounds of the next segment coming up...
	Muppets	Cookie Monster's Foodie Truck A young musician orders a Caprese salad. The recipe requires mozzarella cheese, which the Foodie Truck is out of. Cookie Monster and Gonger drive to a delicatessen to see how they hand-produce the cheese. (First: Episode 5119)
	Muppets	Elmo sings and dances with Tango as she retrieves toys for the number of the day. Today, she brings zero.
	Cartoon	Sesame Street Nature Explorers Grandma Nell says she's listening to the wonderful sounds of nature, yet Gabrielle, Elmo, and Tango claim not to hear anything. But as they listen closer, they hear the "wssk wssk wssk" of the leaves blowing in the wind, which leads them to wonder what other sounds nature makes. On their search, they hear a bird singing, their feet crunching the leaves, water flowing down a stream, and the wind blowing through tall grass. (First: Episode 5426)
	SCENE 2	Elmo, Zoe, and Tamir sign off while Zoe excitedly tells Tamir to play one final drum beat.