Hepcat ignored sympathetic performance of steamy jazz standard (5)
I believe the answer is:
misty
'steamy jazz standard' is the definition.
Both the definition and answer are adjectives. Perhaps there's an association between them I don't understand?
'hepcat ignored sympathetic performance' is the wordplay.
'ignored' is a deletion indicator.
'performance' indicates anagramming the letters.
'sympathetic' with 'hepcat' taken away is 'symti'.
'symti' with letters rearranged gives 'MISTY'.
'of' acts as a link.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for misty that I've seen before include "Old number" , "Indistinct in outline" , "Dim, obscure, clouded" , "Hazy" , "It's not clear" .)