The Jazz Process: Collaboration, Innovation, and Agility

Chapter 6. Listen for Change

“A good hockey player plays where the puck is;a great hockey player plays where the puck is going to be.”

—Wayne Gretzky

Observing

What does it mean to listen? In his paper “Creativity and Improvisation in Jazz and Organizations: Implications for Organizational Learning,” Frank Barrett wrote about why jazz musicians need to be good listeners. I have quoted from Barrett’s paper here and added a few annotations (Barrett 1998, 617):

In order to “comp” or accompany soloists effectively, jazz musicians need to be very good listeners. They need to interpret others’ playing [Orient], anticipate likely future directions [Maintain momentum], make instantaneous decisions in regard to harmonic and rhythmic progressions [Decide]. ...