The theory is very important but transcription separates the boys from the men.
Take a simple Ray Brown bass line, transcribe it bar by bar, write it out with chord symbols over each bar, and analyze all the funny business.
Repeat til walking basslines make sense.
Wanna learn how to solo? Do the same thing with a Miles solo.
I recommend these two cats because the ideas are crystal clear, and are based in sound "theory" 99-100% of the time.
Remember, the theory ALWAYS follows the practice. I'm still trying to figure out how to explain this one passage in a Patitucci solo! Or... how Bach could get away with arpeggiating a M7b9 three centuries ago.
