Alan Breck Stewart - another memorable Stevenson character! ("Am I no a bonny fighter, Davy?").

New Orleans at the time of Buddy Bolden was a scene of band battles, where the bands would play on the backs of carts and wagons and try and outplay each other. There are also lovely stories by Jelly Roll Morton and others of pianists trying to "cut" each other in bars and rent parties. Fats Waller was a tremendous pianist but, when James P. Johnson entered the parlour, the people would say, "Get up of that stool, Fats, you're hurting its feelings!"

I've always believed that, at heart, there's a strong competitive element - albeit unconscious in many people - in music. At the very least, the urge to get better and more proficient - if you have that urge - is competing against oneself.