Fall, 1998 IMPROVISATION -  Part II: The Jazz Conversationalist So.......what happens when four or five musicians come together to play; what happens within their 'conversation'? Quite simply, it is a 'call and response' to each other.  What each musician plays elicits, in a millisecond, a response, which then elicits further response from his colleagues, each in his own way.  And on and on.  All of this is based on the musician's thorough knowledge of his subject matter, or, in this case, the tune he is playing. Apply this to people talking together in which they exchange thoughts and ideas based upon their knowledge of a specific subject. In conversation, the more one speaks with others, the more each absorbs and expands upon the knowledge and ideas of others. As they attempt to educate themselves and refine their own skills of communication, they, in turn, become  better speakers with greater abilities to listen, respond, converse. This is the same process we use to become fine improvisers, except that we use our instruments!  Of course, we can only improvise to the level of mastery we have acquired on our instruments, a step not required in conversation. Now, having developed into a skilled Jazz improviser, one who has trained his/her ear and learned the theories of harmony and rhythm, how does one develop a solo? In my case, I first listen to the style and context of the music, then immerse myself in the feel of the rhythm and harmony, and let those elements elicit a response from me. In a big band context, I listen to how the arranger has structured the setting into which I am being placed, the textures of the sounds around me, and, then, based on the harmonies and rhythms, try to create my own melodic lines.  I initiate a conversation with the orchestra while continually striving to find something original and new. In the process, I respond to all that surrounds me, the manner in which the rhythm section  'comps' underneath me, the backgrounds the arranger has written to accompany me and what the tempo, rhythm and style of the composition suggest to me. I try to create a discourse with the group I am within and say something expressive and musically appropriate. In a small group setting, I'm less restrained and free of written frameworks.  I can be more spontaneous in style, tempo, rhythm and harmonies, and can even, if I desire, change the 'feel' and setting of the piece. For instance, I can play a composition in one style one evening, say, a bossa nova, and the next evening, play it in a 'swing' style.  Even while continuing to play a piece in the same style, creative Jazz musicians strive not to be repetitive. They always are searching for new ways to express themselves and expand their ideas and musical communcation skills. In closing, it is difficult to put into words what prompts someone like myself to play in a specific way at a specific time, because I play extemporaneously, just as we talk extemporaneously. Do we think about speaking? Or is our speaking often dictated by the situation at hand?  Is it based on our need to respond to the situation by expressing our own ideas and thoughts, thus creating a dialogue with those who triggered our response. When we do this, we never consciously think about syntax, grammar, or even how we put the words together to form the thoughts we are trying communicate. We just talk!  And the clarity with which we speak and express our ideas is based on our knowledge of the subject and our skill in speaking.  To a great extent, this skill is determined by the linguistic sophistication and skills of those from whom we learned to speak. Development of speaking skills, however, is a lifelong process of absorbing and learning from everyone with whom we come in contact,  every moment of every day! Jazz improvisation, like speaking, is just that, but even more so. It is the eternal search for the holy grail of creativity that permits us to weave a musical mosaic of incredible beauty and symmetry that, while based on all that has come before, is yet unlike anything that has gone before!

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