There is a great deal of discipline that goes into the ability to create great jazz music. This comes with experience, the years of constantly playing and applying the disciplines of the art form to a wide variety of situations, and playing with peers. Musicianship, which can be nurtured and developed, plays an important role in the ability of the player to choose ideas and respond to situations in the most appropriate musical manner. Innovation is something that every jazz musician aspires to but only rarely achieves, but this search is what makes the process so intriguing. The results are the substance of the music and the timelessness of the performance.
Style is the by-product of the process or the way the music is played.
Style can be demonstrated but not taught. The process, as it takes place, is amplified by the group dynamics. It is the interaction of the individuals in the group, each dealing with the Process, that gives the group its identity. This extends to what occurs off the bandstand as well as on, including personal relationships. In fact, this becomes the essence of any great jazz ensemble, how the players relate and respond to each other.