It Ain't Got a Thing If It Ain't Got That...Rhythm

        Every almost every time I hear a singer from England or Australia or France or any other foreign place, I am always amazed by the fact that any trace of an accent has disappeared. (The most recent time, it was Chris Martin of Coldplay, who's married to Gwyneth Paltrow; he's the son-in-law of the late Bruce Paltrow, the man who brought us "St. Elsewhere," one of my favorite TV shows.)

        And then I contemplate that the rhythm is the king. The rhythm of the song dictates what the voice does.

        It's like that with writing as well. Sometimes a slow, meandering flow is appropriate for the story/article/poem.  Other times, an intense, more hammering rhythm is called for.

        I'm leaving you with a Ruthie Foster video, and giving you a link to Jennifer Brown Banks' blog, 'cause in a comment she (Jennifer, not Ruthie) reminded me of how much I love Foster's singing.