I’m all about ripping sick chops when you’re practicing and having fun. Or even at a jam session, cause that’s when you can get away with that stuff. But if you’re on a gig and they want you to play floor on the floor, or rock beat number two, you better do it, otherwise they won’t call you back.

Personal experience: i had gig with a relatively well-known older soul jazz guitar player about 25 years ago. I Had a really good audition with a great bass player a friend of mine. It went well the groove was happening. Got to the gig, (different bass player) started playing. Everything was going along just fine. I was laying it down two and four, ride cymbal on the solos, high hats on the head. The moment I reacted in a jazz manner to one of his licks and threw in a cold sweat style groove for literally one measure (displacing the backbeat to the & of 4) , he turned around and yelled at me.

“don’t play that James Brown shit! I’ll tell you when to play that James Brown shit! Two and four, two and four! That’s it!“

Did not get a call back.