The value of exploring your creativity is going to be utterly wasted if there's no technique to support it. Jazz is a perfect example. One of the great ironies of jazz music is that, while it sounds so free and spontaneous, it's actually a highly structured art form. You can't really blow freely over those chord changes until you've spent many long hours systematically working out the minute details of technique, harmony, and underlying theory. Okay, hold the sarcasm.
Basics Playing wind instruments is a lot like sports.
It's best to schedule a regular practice time every day. Also, it's much better to do a small amount daily than try to squeeze in 2 hours the night before your lesson. Naturally, the more you practice the faster you'll move ahead, but you'd be amazed what progress you can make in only 20 minutes, especially if you do it every day. The practice routine I like goes through several stages, each touching on totally different aspects of playing. This keeps a player from getting too bogged down on a single problem, while it builds a more rounded musician.