Philippe Petit (born 13 August 1949) is a French high-wire artist who gained fame for his high-wire walk between the twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York City, New York, on 7 August 1974.

You may think that a wire-walker has little or nothing to do with jazz or art. But to me, wire-walking is all about rhythm, balance and expression. In the case of Philippe Petit—perhaps the world's ...