To be a good improviser, you have to study composition as a parallel. Because what improvisation is, on a high level, is spontaneous composition.
I've always been interested in shaping music in odd ways, with odd riffs and that's been probably something that I've continued on with my studies with improvisation as I'm working with people.
Man, I used to go around and think, 'Oh my God, what must it be like to be going down the street, and someone asks you, 'What's your name?' and the reply would be, 'John Coltrane.' I couldn't imagine what that would be like.
This is what really makes real jazz musicians: people coming out with their own voice.
My central quest was to have a piece played on the saxophone sound like more than one instrument, exploiting different registers and wide interval leaps.
You have to know composition to be a good improviser.
