ABSTRACT
The works of Csíkszentmihályi in general and Sawyer in particular have recently pushed the idea of flow to the fore, but flow has long been an essential aspect of the performing arts. In jazz, expressions such as “groove”, “in-the-pocket” and even “swing” refer to a state where the performance seems to be spontaneous and self-generating. The suggestion that a musician in a flow state will no longer need to make conscious decisions strikes us as romantically naive. By way of interviews and observations of actual performances, we investigate what flow is from the performer’s perspective, and conclude that flow in free jazz contributes to maximising the sonic environment by purposefully setting out to achieve and accommodate unpredictable outcomes. When free jazz flows, the musicians are able to instantly respond to changes in the conditions as new directions, an approach that requires not only expertise and creativity but also equanimity, which in turn takes us to the notion of the ego being put at the disposal of the collective and is a key prerequisite to any collaborative exploration and experimentation that takes risks.
