I've played jazz for about 45 years, and admittedly I'm not steeped in theory. I do know a massive number of tunes. The people I've known who have made practic

I've played jazz for about 45 years, and admittedly I'm not steeped in theory. I do know a massive number of tunes. The people I've known who have made practical use of theory, mainly used it to help them streamline composition and arrangement. This I appreciate because I enjoy playing original material. Of course theory isn't telling them what to write, but perhaps it helps them come up with more coherent ideas more quickly.