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That these are the three elements that are the essence of music comes almost as a matter of common sense. But the thing that strikes me most stunningly is that those musicians who stand above the rest as ‘truly great’ are possessed of an ability to employ timing in their performances that starkly sets them apart. You know, any decent musician can play all the notes, and get them in the right order. But compare the work of a good journeyman trumpet player with, say that of Louis Armstrong or Miles Davis, and you’ll be left little doubt.....merely getting the notes right just isn’t it at all. In their stunning performance of the Jazz standard "You Go To My Head", Armstrong’s subtle timing liberties in both his singing and horn playing are set against a counterpoint of responsive timing shadings by pianist, Oscar Peterson. Though that performance is starkly simple and spare, the emotion conveyed will take your breath away. In Jazz, the technical term for this is 'swing'. Ella’s performances too were marked by her signature deviations from ‘proper’ timing; she often lagged by nearly a bar, then recovered nimbly, and with a chuckle of fun. Talk about poise! Ella was above it all. In fact, our greatest musical geniuses have always set themselves apart by their creative use of timing. Perhaps that is why the 5th symphony begins with a rest. |