Quote:

Cut To leave or depart. (aka: "cut out")
Ex: Let's "cut out".
To outdo another person
Ex: Charlie's solo really "cut" that cat last night.
A battle of the bands.
Ex: Basie and Lunceford's band had a real
'cuttin'contest' last night.


Black musicians used to get together for a Jam Session and "Chop Heads".

This term referred to the ability to take a solo on the same instrument and "chop the other guy's head off" with your abilities.

Of course, "Cut" is synonymous.

"Head Choppin'" is the act of following someone's solo with a solo so profound that the poor cat who took the first solo must tuck tail and slink away.

This one likely points back to the "Cakewalk" of a time previous, BTW.
_________________________
"Keep listening. Never become so self-important that you can't listen to other players. Live cleanly....Do right....You can improve as a player by improving as a person. It's a duty we owe to ourselves." --John Coltrane

"You don't know what you like, you like what you know. In order to know what you like, you have to know everything." --Branford Marsalis