We propose a novel approach to the task of identifying performers from their playing styles. We investigate how skilled musicians (Jazz saxophone players in particular) express and communicate their view of the musical and emotional content of musical pieces and how to use this information in order to automatically identify performers. We study deviations of parameters such as pitch, timing, amplitude and timbre both at an inter-note level and at an intra-note level. Our approach to performer identification consists of establishing a performer dependent mapping of inter-note features (essentially a "score" whether or not the score physically exists) to a repertoire of inflections characterized by intra-note features. We present a successful performer identification case study.

This work was supported in part by the Spanish Ministry of Education and Science under Grants TINC2003-07776-C02-01 ProMusic Project and TIN2006-14932-C02-01 ProSeMus Project.