Miles is a bright twelve-year-old with an extraordinary talent for jazz piano. Alone, his musical genius sets him apart from his schoolmates and creates problems with his music teacher, but he also suffers from Tourette Syndrome, a neurological disorder which causes uncontrollable tics and grunts. The class bully torments him mercilessly, the school principal wants to pump him with mind-numbing medication, and his own father--a jazz pianist who has left the family--is clearly embarrassed by his son's affliction. For Miles, the only escape is music. With his best friend he finds refuge at the renowned jazz club, The Village Vanguard, where the older musicians easily accept him. One day Laura, Miles' shy, overprotective mother accompanies him to a jam session that she has arranged with his idol, the saxophonist Tyrone Pike, who, it turns out, has Tourette Syndome as well. This connection serves to both bond and alienate the two, as Pike lives in denial of his own condition.