"What it takes?? Talent, Inspiration, Originality, Musicianship."
You forgot the most important thing..You need to have a Drive. IF you dont have that, it doesnt matter how talented, how inspired, how original or how much musicianshop you have, it'll come out as dull music...but you can lack in the 4 above and still have the "drive" and you'll still be able to make music that "swings".
Look at The Ramones. They were utterly uselss as musicians, but they had that "drive".
If you dont mean what you're playing, it wont go anywhere.
Music, no matter how you twist and turn it, is an artform and not an exercise in techniques.
Daff
------------------
CO, 56th Fighter Group
"This is Yardstick. Follow me"