Intensity in Jazz

So today I had the Mingus ensemble and there was a huge improvement in my playing and the overall sound of the ensemble! There was so much energy, and it made the music so much more fun and uplifting! Everyone was smiling the whole time! Sure it wasn't perfect... but the attitude was certainly there! Thanks to everyone for their amazing advice! I think my reflections this past week will forever change how I approach the instrument!

Cheers!
 
Just be more aggressive. Be aggressive, but still be musical. You don't want to just pound it out and not make any sense with what you're playing. Attack harder, but, at the same time, make it good to listen to.
 
Open your eyes really wide and furl your eyebrows. Locking your jaw may help, twitching greatly enhances. Stare directly at the instructor giving off an "unnerving" vibe as best you can. No one will argue about your intensity, or at least they'll be hesitant about it.
 
If you're trying to play "with touch" but it seems not to get acroos in the ears of your teacher, maybe your touch isn't the right one then?

Playing with intensity: On the side of what's being played, maybe it's a matter of
tension and release? By choosing rhythmical structures and phrasing, subdivisions and accents you can create interaction between tension and release, density and "air".
 
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