listen

Not that I agree with his generalized statements, but it's an interesting perspective.

Why Americans Don’t Like Jazz by Dyske Suematsu
http://dyske.com/paper/778

I'm going to walk you through a lesson of discovery in your playing, but it first requires that you record yourself playing an instrumental or extended solo to a jam track, either improvised or a song you've studied. Do this over the weekend and we'll dig into our lesson on Monday (I can't tell you what the lesson is, it will change the way you play). Have a great weekend!