Time is relative: Einstein taught us that. What scientists measure with careful instruments and observation we know intuitively — our brains carefully examine novel experiences and gloss over the ordinary, so that even our own sense of what takes longer or shorter is subjective.
Ainissa Ramirez posits that the malleable nature of time can also appear in musical culture, in particular in the work of the great American jazz musician Louis Armstrong (d. 1971). Armstrong was probably the first great jazz soloist, famed for his trumpet and vocal pieces. He distinguished his work with elements of impromptu timing, particularly playing with the eighth notes. As his background musicians kept a beat, Armstrong would either hold or quicken the eighth notes as he was moved in the moment. “Two Deuces” (1928) is a good example of how he did this.
Ramirez argues that the effect of Armstrong’s timing is to make the listener dwell in the present moment, which fits in with the African musical legacy Armstrong drew from. Whereas Western music traditionally is forward-leaning, with pieces that emphasize progress and conclusion, African traditions stress the present. In fact, Ramirez writes, several African languages are missing words for “future” even though they have words for “past” and “present”.
Ramirez concludes that “Einstein showed us that time is relative for the observer; Armstrong made time relative for the listener”.
Source(s): Ainissa Ramirez, _The Alchemy of Us_, MIT Press, 2020, Chapter one.
