ABSTRACT
Most jazz musicians will probably agree that having a good sense of time is key to successful improvisation and to overall musicianship. Great jazz artists have always understood the importance of rhythm and time; this comes through as an individual sense of swing on numerous recordings. In jazz, rhythm seems to work against the underlying meter and that seeming disagreement influences the perception of time. The most immediate consequence of such a disagreement is the effect of syncopation; syncopation enhances the excitement of the music by distributing rhythmic figures and accents on unexpected locations within the measure. Playing with a good sense of rhythm and time is not only essential to performance, it is also crucial to successful practicing. A jazz icon from the Post-Bop Era, the alto saxophonist Cannonball Adderley preferred his swing 8th notes slightly in front of the beat to energize the music with rhythmic excitement and vitality.
