Give the downbeat. Then, wander off.

I've written many times on this blog about how much jazz appeals to me.  Beyond the feel of the music and the way it welcomes improvisation, there's just a sense of freedom about it.  I used to feel this whenever I watched my college's jazz band perform outdoors.  During the band's annual "Jazz On The Mall" concert, I'd frequently see the conductor give the downbeat, conduct at least the first verse of a tune, and then wander off into the crowd to watch the band play.  To this day, I still think, "What a cool job that must be, to get your jazz band going, conduct them in a 'You get the gist of this...' manner, and still get to see them in concert the way the audience does..."