Philosophical Foundations of Jazz Rhythm in Mike Longo’s “Rhythmic Nature of Jazz”

Jazz is more than just a genre—it is a living, breathing rhythmic language that flows through time with spontaneity and precision. In The Rhythmic Nature of Jazz, Mike Longo explores the deep philosophical and structural foundations of jazz rhythm, emphasizing that true mastery extends beyond technical proficiency. His teachings highlight the essential duality of how to play jazz and what to play in jazz, illuminating the role of touch, time, and tone in shaping a musician’s voice. By diving into the ontology of music, the spiritual nature of improvisation, and the African rhythmic roots that set jazz apart, Longo provides a framework for understanding jazz as an organic, evolving force rather than a set of rigid rules.

The Two Areas of Study in Jazz

Mike Longo breaks jazz into two fundamental areas: How to Play Jazz and What to Play in Jazz. Both are crucial for mastering the art form.

How to Play Jazz

1. Touch – The way a musician physically interacts with their instrument determines their sound and feel. Touch cannot be transcribed; it must be experienced.
2. Time – Jazz time differs from classical time, emphasizing polyrhythmic structures and groove.
3. Tone – An instrument “talks” through a player’s personal sound, creating a unique charisma (e.g., Sonny Rollins, Dizzy Gillespie, Miles Davis).
4. Technique – A player’s ability to execute ideas fluidly and with control.
5. Taste – The ability to make informed musical choices based on experience and knowledge.

What to Play in Jazz

1. Melody – Informed by rhythm and ontology (the deeper, natural laws of music). Charlie Parker’s greatest contribution was a new behavior in melody.
2. Harmony – While similar to classical harmony, jazz harmony is shaped by the blues.
3. Rhythm – The heartbeat of jazz, distinct from other musical genres.
4. Counterpoint – How different voices interact, whether between musicians or within a pianist’s left and right hands.
5. Form – The logical development of a solo, beginning with a clear statement, a corroboration, and then allowing the music to dictate the journey.

Dizzy Gillespie famously described jazz as a “marriage of African rhythm and European harmony.” Longo emphasizes that African rhythm is underrepresented in modern jazz education. Jazz’s polymetric and polyrhythmic nature sets it apart from the monorhythmic approach in classical music.

The Ontology of Music

Longo believes music exists beyond the ego, operating under natural laws. He describes music as an ontological experience, meaning it reveals itself when the musician allows it to flow rather than imposing personal will. When playing jazz correctly, the musician doesn’t create the music—it emerges through them.

• Ego as the enemy: Dizzy Gillespie taught that true jazz requires surrendering to a higher force.
• Music creates feeling, not vice versa: One does not put emotion into music; the music itself generates emotion when played correctly.
• Polymetric perception: A musician must be able to feel multiple meters simultaneously. For example, a 6/8 pattern can be perceived as 4/4, 5/4, or 7/4, simply by shifting the bar lines.

Touch and Time

• Touch is a rhythmic behavior: It develops not through technical exercises alone, but through internalizing jazz’s unique rhythmic structure.
• Time is a feeling, not a subdivision: African musicians do not think in mathematical subdivisions; they feel the pulse naturally. Bebop drummers developed their phrasing from African polyrhythms.
• Swing develops from body rhythm: Jazz musicians should not practice with a metronome, as it represents clock-time rather than human pulse. Instead, they should develop an internal time feel.

Learning Jazz: Three Stages

1. Imitation – The talent stage. Many students get stuck here, copying licks rather than understanding the process behind them.
2. Realization – Understanding that feeling comes from music, not the other way around.
3. Maturity – Reaching a state where music flows naturally without forced intention.

The Role of Additive Rhythm and Displacement

Jazz rhythm is not structured in the traditional Western way of whole, half, quarter, eighth notes. Instead, jazz rhythm is better understood as additive, meaning rhythmic groupings like 3+5 or 5+7 shape phrasing.

• Dizzy’s “perfect offbeat” – Traditional notation often misrepresents jazz swing. A note on an offbeat in jazz often functions as a new downbeat.
• Ray Brown’s displaced triplets – His time-feel created a depth of swing that cannot be transcribed accurately.
• Dizzy’s hidden “5” – The bebop cymbal pattern derives from an underlying 5/4 concept, leading to more dynamic rhythmic variation.

Improvisation as a State of Consciousness

• Jazz is played from presence, not thought: Longo compares playing jazz to meditation, where a musician must enter a stream-of-consciousness state.
• Presence eliminates ego: The best jazz improvisers (e.g., Zoot Sims, Dexter Gordon) claim to think of nothing while playing.
• Exercises induce behaviors: Rather than memorizing licks, Longo’s method activates specific playing behaviors that allow rhythm and melody to emerge naturally.

Transcription vs. Process Learning

• Transcribing is useful for ear training but not for developing touch: One cannot learn jazz by copying licks; they must learn the process behind those licks.
• “Do not copy the masters; seek what they sought.”
• Learn rhythmic activators: Instead of memorizing solos, focus on what inspired those solos. Extract the rhythmic and melodic principles behind them.

The Spirituality of Jazz

• Dizzy: “I decided early in life to be a creature of joy.”
• Jazz as a spiritual experience: Many jazz musicians describe playing as an altered state, where music flows through them.
• The “Land of Oobladi”: Dizzy and Bird introduced an organic evolution to jazz, allowing musicians to “rush at the wind and become airborne.”
• Kundalini energy and groove: The physical sensation of rhythm in jazz is deeply tied to a musician’s personal connection to their instrument and the natural forces at play.

Longo’s approach is not merely about playing the right notes but about internalizing rhythm, touch, and time until they become second nature. Through this, jazz musicians can reach the “higher place” where music reveals itself and truly swings.