Perhaps the most important rhythmic form in jazz is swing time. Swing, in the simplest sense results when layers of rhythmic pulsation are piled on top of each other. A musician articulates one note crisply, another gently, another imperceptibly, in an infinitely varied succession of pulsations. The great saxophonist Lester Young summarized swing by employing the rhythmic phrase tinkety boom. Concentrate on Jo Jones driving drumming, as well as the accumulated pulsation of rhythm created by the riffing horns, Basie s comping on the piano, and the rest of the rhythm section.
Syncopation is as common in jazz as improvisation.
Given the rhythmic flexibility inherent to jazz, syncopation is the rule rather than the exception. Syncopation has remained a consistent element in jazz. A particularly accessible example of syncopation is Weather Report s Birdland, recorded in 1976. From virtually the simple opening theme, the offbeat accents of both the melody and bass create a riot of syncopation. And the subsequent solos add next another layer of syncopation.