Yeah but as a bass player, do you notice the entire ensemble drop out, turn and stare at you, along with the audience, contributing zero to the groove, yet creating an atmosphere of tension that you try to resolve with virtuosity, instead of grooving with your buds like a horn, guitar, piano gets to do?

Not to mention an upper extension sounds like a modulation without the context that the bass normally provides?

But yeah, cool article. I’ve played with uptight people that need to stop the jam and start over, and others that can tell you the tempo, groove, feel, and more just by playing an intro. Definitely seems like experience and playing outside your personal bag (like your jams) helps get to the big picture.

The emotional intelligence part seems the most intriguing though. Some of the “spectrum” folks in regular society did so well with the flow, while super charming charismatic types were crushed by musical anxiety. Again, experience mattered most!