Topmusicanswers
A cutting contest was a musical battle between various stride piano players from the 1920s to the 1940s, and to a lesser extent in improvisation contests on other jazz instruments during the swing era. ... Originally, to "cut" another piano player meant to replace them at their job by outperforming them.
- What's the difference between a cutting contest and a jam session?
- What is a cutting session in music?
- What does it mean to cut in jazz?
What's the difference between a cutting contest and a jam session?
Where are there all-night jam sessions anymore?” Sometimes called a “carving contest,” or “head cutting”, a cutting contest is a jam session during which players compete for gigs, respect, and acclaim by trying to blow each other off the stage.
What is a cutting session in music?
This musical action on the New York battlefield was the cutting session, and the expression was an appropriate one. When a musician picked up his instrument, his intention was to outperform the other man. No quarter was given or expected, and the wound to a musician's ego and reputation could be as deep as a cut.
What does it mean to cut in jazz?
To the best of my knowledge, from talking with a lot of jazz musicians, the "cutting" in a cutting contest is akin to a knife fight. You are, figuratively, trying to slash the other guy up, to bleed him into submission. These cats were tough as hell, mind you, and a lot of them from some rough backgrounds.
