“Let’s talk about Jazz…There is no such thing as jazz improvisation without a jazz musician who knows already what the score is, who understands the bass line, who knows the melody, and who has spent lots of time and energy mastering the scales, the basics and how the instrument is played.  Improvisation comes out of an incredible mastery that has already been undertaken.  Otherwise, its like putting a child in front of a piano and saying, ‘play whatever you want’ That’s not improvisation.” 

George Mason