What do you think of this observation by Miles Davis? (Interview) Harry Reasoner: Are Black musicians genetically better than White musicians? Get me in trouble. Miles Davis: Not better. But they play different. White musicians seem to lag behind the beat. I dont know why.
My(caucasion)feelings are not hurt by this. Edit: To answer the OP's question- That has been my experience as well, although each and every musician I've ever played with has been different. I won't generalize further on the aforementioned aspect, just say vive l'diff
Miles Davis was a genius musician, but he had some funny ideas about white people and music. It didn't stop him from having some high-profile associations with us Caucasian cats. Two different guys named Evans come to mind. Just because a guy is a genius on his instrument doesn't make him a fountain of wisdom. Miles Davis, by many accounts, was an arrogant jackass. And he happens to be my all-time favorite jazz musician. (My two other all-time favorites, Frank Zappa and John Zorn, are also arrogant jackasses, and so, to an extent, am I. Coincidence? You decide. ) Behind the beat? THIS white boy tends to play right on top of the beat, with a metronomic. Precision. That. Isn't. Really. Funky. I've been studying Duck Dunn (another white boy, hmmm...) to try and correct this.
Must've seen us when I was holding the song's original time(aka trying to slow the drummer down) while the drummer was speeding up while watching a well-endowed woman bouncing around on the dance floor.
Duck Dunn? I thought he and Al Jackson played slightly behind the beat on the 2 and the 4? http://www.drummagazine.com/features/post/al-jackson-jr.-the-sound-of-60s-soul/
Yes, I don't think he was being critical at all. Just making an observation. But he might not have been referring to bass players. Bass players normally set the beat. Other types of musicians play on it, around it, etc.