Where's the One?

Yesterday, the iPod Shuffle Djinn served up "BNH" by the Brand New Heavies (iTunes), one of my all-time favorite grooves. The remarkable thing about this song is that almost nothing happens on the downbeat. There's no kick, no bass. Maybe a closed high hat or a shaker, but that's it. And yet it feels completely natural. When the other instruments come in, they avoid the downbeat too. It's a very good thing.