And if you are playing in several meters at once, there has to be a - not a rigid - but there definitely has to be a reference to a common pulse in the band.
We know others to the extent that we know ourselves.
A mistake is always forgivable, rarely excusable and always unacceptable.
Me and a book is a party. Me and a book and a cup of coffee is an orgy.
There is a difference between being a timekeeper and keeping the pulse or being in step with the pulse in the band.
In terms of an identity, an identity reflects an individuality, by definition. And, if there is a quality present, it is recognizable and it can be named. If you can't name it, it means you don't recognize it.