[Dixielandjazz] Teaching Jazz improv to a new band memeber.

[Kent Murdick]

As someone who is learning to both play the saxophone and play solos, I 
think I may be able to comment on this situation.  If the guy is not 
willing to spend 2 hours a day learning the art, then he won't be able 
to do it.  It is not really worth it to bring  a non- soloing lead horn 
into a small band. You can quickly teach a guitarist or a tuba player to 
play trad jazz, but that's about it.

With sax, I first learned how to improvise backup parts.  This instantly 
made me valuble because I could also elaborate on the melody to form a 
basic solo.  Very few (you might as well say none) adults are willing to 
spend this kind of time or have the theoretical knowledge to do what I did.