"Junkies' Beat"

[Matthew]

Reading about BeBop lately, I came across this phrase a couple of time: Junkies' Beat. Just what is that? Is is really fast of slow? Where did it come from and what are some examples? Is it just from the BeBop era or was it always a part of jazz slang? Not a big issue, but interesting none the less.

[ghost of miles]

I think/thought that it meant playing behind the beat & was an allusion to the effect of heroin on one's musical performance... but I could be very, very wrong here. The legit musicians around this joint can probably elaborate much better.

[Dan Gould]

I think GoM is right, or perhaps the reference is to a band of junkies playing slower than they should due to their condition?

[JSngry]

It's not so much a matter of actual tempo as it is feel.

Closest I ever came to it was when I had a bad, recurrent, cough with some respiratory bug, and the doctor prescribed me some strong-ass codiene cough syrup. Well, I had to play a gig that afternoon, so I took a "healthy" dose, if you know what I mean, just so's I could blow w/o coughing.

Let me tell you - it was MAGNIFICENT. The fastest tempos seemed medium, at best, slow ones just unfolded with inevitable beauty, and the medium grooves, well, they were almost pre-orgasmic in their lusicous sensuality. My motor skills weren't hampered at all, but feeling that "stillness" of time allowed a "strength of purpose" in execution that at once thrilled me and scared me shitless. If that's what a heroin high is like, or even partially like, hey, the attraction is more than a little understandable. But that's the up side. It's the down side that'll kill you...

Oh yeah - kids, don't try this at home.