Final answer:
Elvin Jones's experimentation with polyrhythms is a trait commonly found in African drumming. This technique of overlaying different rhythms simultaneously can be seen in traditional African music, dance like Steppin' and gumboot, and has influenced artists such as Jackson Pollock.
Step-by-step explanation:
Drummer Elvin Jones experimented with polyrhythms—a common trait in African drumming. Polyrythms, like playing a 3 beat phrase within a 4 beat time feel, involve multiple rhythms occurring simultaneously. This is a technique regularly seen in traditional African music, which profoundly influences many drumming styles. When it comes to the Steppin' dance, performers might use a cane to play one rhythm while their feet execute another. Polyrhythmic skill is also showcased in the gumboot dance, where different rhythms are performed and overlaid by various group members.
There's also a cultural connection of polyrhythms with artwork, as seen in Jackson Pollock's Autumn Rhythm (Number 30), a painting influenced by the improvisational and syncopated rhythms found in jazz music. This painting visually echoes the loose, complex patterns akin to musical rhythms. Similarly, these rhythmical elements add tension and complexity to dance and music performances, demanding high skill levels for execution.
Even literature figures, like Zora Neale Hurston, have been connected with such rhythmic expressions, underscoring the significance of rhythm within cultural practices.