Sounds like your sax player friend was pretty good. There's a breathing exersice I like to do to develop phrasing... Ties in with that directly.
About pitch recognition being hardwired, it is, but it can also be learned and/or acquired. Just like the ability to see color is hardwired, children can recognize pitch too, but if you don't teach them and reinforce it, they lose it over time. I think the same is true for rhythms too. Think about Latin music...
I really enjoyed that Al "digada didada" Dimeola video, thanks. He was one of my heros as as teenager. While he's a great player, I don't agree with his comments about, "Asians, not so much..." If he was running for election, I'm pretty sure his campaign manager would have to resign... lol
As a teenager, I took a Flamenco lesson from some Spanish guy who used the entire hour to lecture me on how I'd never be able to play "real Flamenco rhythms" because I wasn't of the proper genetic origin. My Flamenco playing will probably never recover from that racist jerk.
That's partly why I like
Jason McGuire so much. Apart from being a monster player and a nice guy, he's a white boy from the suburbs who absolutely smokes 99% of all the "real Flamenco" players out there. Many hardcore Andalusian guitarists harbor a real disdain for him, he violates too many of their preconceived prejudices about their own cultural identity.
Still, Flamenco dancers seem to like him a lot, and in Flamenco, it's ultimately the dancers who get to decide what matters...
I think music is mostly cultural. While a propensity for music is hardwired from "The Factory", you can also acquire it, just like learning a foreign language.
If you don't like a particular style of music, you will be less inclined to learn it, but if you like something, and spend the required time developing it, I don't see where genetic background has much to do with it.
I was talking about this with another guitar teacher today, one who doesn't play very fast himself, but he echoed the sentiment that "those who frown on fast playing are just jealous because they can't do it themselves..."
Maybe it really is sour grapes. I was trying to find a logical, non-ego based explanation for why such a large portion of the guitar playing public seem to dislike fast guitar players.
You know what? Screw 'em. Just as I should have ignored that Flamenco teacher as a teenager, I should probably ignore anyone who doesn't get where I'm coming from today.
Strange thing is, you don't see Al Dimeola, Yngwie, Frank Gambale, or Eric Johnson railing against Muddy Waters or
Snooks Eaglin (two other personal faves) because they don't play fast enough...
Thanks again for sharing your time and insight. I have a feeling you must be a pretty good player. If you're ever in Dallas, look me up!