That they have been done already seems really a moot point. Jazz
involves each musician developing their own ear and voice, their own
interpretation. That yours or mine end up being like a predecessors
simply identifies us with part of the tradition. That improvisation must
be personal does not imply that it must be unprecedented or absolutely
unique. If a reharmonization validly expresses a depth dimension the
player hears in a tune, and if it powerfully communicates that dimension
to hearers, it hardly matters that someone else did it earlier. The
quest to be novel is not the essence of improvisation. The desire to be
authentic and to communicate get closer to it. My $0.03 (adjusted for
inflation).
-- //////////////////////////////\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ Lawson G. Stone—Asbury Theological Seminary—Wilmore, KY 40390 \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\/////////////////////////////////// "I never practice. I open the case once in a while and throw in a piece of meat." Wes Montgomery, Jazz Guitarist, told to Jim Hall.