The scales only fell from my ears relatively recently, because I finally had a teacher who had been around long enough to know how jazz eighths are actually played, and he kept after me and wouldn't let me get away with the bullshit swing feel that had by now become comfortable for me.
I'm interested to know, who was it? Reply privately if you don't want the whole world to know.
But they are! They are supposed to be metronomic! Seriously -- listen to any 1940's or 1950's jazz player at a medium tempo or above -- Lester Young, Charlie Parker, Bud Powell, Sonny Rollins, Clifford Brown, Stan Getz, Lee Konitz -- and you'll find that continuous eighths notes are played absolutely even, or very close to it.
Ben Webster, Miles Davis, Dexter Gordon; these guys DIDN'T play metronomically. Granted, they didn't play "Mickey Mouse" style eighths either, but placement in the measure was just another aspect of the style that was flexible to them. Your point stands.
Oh, yeah, Bob Brookmeyer, too, had a pretty flexible feel in his trombone solos with the Terry-Brookmeyer Quintet, Gerry Mulligan, and other groups from that era. Quite beautiful too, though I imagine a bit perplexing to students who are constantly being told "Don't rush" and "Don't drag!"
Mark, due respect, but when you make assertions like that, you are making my point for me. Name me any recording of "Polka Dots and Moonbeams" by a major jazz singer or instrumentalist where continuous eighths are sung/played like triplets.
My favourite recording, by Ella Fitzgerald, (with a solo I think by Lockjaw Davis on tenor sax) is very even-eighths, and swings like a mother...
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