“Your Voice Is Already There” – Finding Yourself in Jazz

How do you find your own voice in jazz? Martin Jacobsen shares how Kind of Blue sparked his journey, what mistakes taught him on stage, and why limited technique can be a strength. In this interview, he reflects on self-teaching in Copenhagen, the essence of jazz as an aural tradition, and what players can learn from his books Let’s Speak Jazz and Let’s Play Jazz. An inspiring read about intuition, freedom—and trusting your own path.

“I followed the old-school way by finding a saxophone hero”

You have been an active saxophonist in the jazz scene for many years. Could you tell us a bit about your musical journey and how you discovered jazz?

I was lucky to grow up in Copenhagen, which was one of the most important jazz capitals in Europe in the 1980s, and I discovered jazz in my high school years through listening to Miles Davis’s jazz-rock bands, both live and on record. I had no other musical background than a little bit of classical piano playing and knew nothing about jazz. But my interest in Miles Davis’s music led me to some great jazz record stores in Copenhagen, and one day I came home with a copy of Kind of Blue. I was mesmerized by John Coltrane’s and Cannonball Adderley’s playing on that album.

My early interest in jazz led me to discover the legendary Jazzhus Montmartre in Copenhagen, where I heard people like Wayne Shorter, Michael Brecker, Bob Berg, Herbie Hancock, Elvin Jones, Tony Williams, and a lot of great players from the local jazz scene. Eventually, I went to a music instrument shop and rented a saxophone at the age of eighteen.

There were no formal jazz studies in Denmark at that time, so aside from a few private lessons, I learned to play jazz “off the street,” as they say. But Copenhagen was in itself a jazz university, and it was easy to find other, more experienced musicians to play with and learn from. Many saxophonists were very generous in sharing their knowledge with me and guiding me.

Which musicians or specific albums had the greatest influence on you during your youth and perhaps shaped your approach to improvisation?

Because there were no formal jazz studies in Denmark at the time, I followed the old-school way by finding a saxophone hero or two and learning from them. I listened to and copied early Sonny Rollins and Charlie Parker (whenever technically possible!) and especially mid-fifties John Coltrane. Later, Dexter Gordon—who had lived in Copenhagen for fifteen years, and whose spirit was still hovering over the scene—became a major influence.

The albums that had the greatest impact on me were especially the Miles Davis Quintet recordings from 1956 (Cookin’, Workin’, Steamin’, Relaxin’, and ’Round About Midnight), as well as Coltrane’s Blue Train from 1957 (the pianist on that album, Kenny Drew, lived in Copenhagen, and I was lucky to visit him and talk about Coltrane and Miles Davis), and Coltrane’s recordings on the Prestige record label. Later on, of course, Dexter Gordon’s Blue Note albums and his many live recordings from Jazzhus Montmartre, released by the Danish SteepleChase label (which, many years later, released my first album).

How would you describe your personal method for developing improvisations? What sets your approach apart from others?

Since I’m mostly a self-taught player, I based my approach on advice from other musicians and relied on the available information from LPs and a few jazz method books—especially Jerry Coker’s Patterns for Jazz. I understood early on that most of my heroes and fellow jazz musicians in Copenhagen had never had any formal training and had learned the same way, so it felt like the right thing to do at the time.

Like I talk about in my book Let’s Speak Jazz, jazz is first and foremost an aural tradition: we learn by listening and imitating, just like learning a language. At that time, I don’t think that my approach was any different from others’.

From theory to action: What’s inside Let’s Speak Jazz and Let’s Play Jazz

In 2018, your first book for Schott Music, Let’s Speak Jazz, was published. What can saxophonists look forward to in your new book, Let’s Play Jazz? Do the two books build upon each other?

My new book is a meticulous, hands-on method that will take saxophonists through all the steps of improvisation in a simple and logical way. It also includes audio to play along with, so the exercises in the book can be directly applied.

Let’s Speak Jazz is a handbook that provides the essential information often missing from many jazz saxophone method books: basic guidance on tone, time, tonguing, ear training, transcription, practice routines, and so forth. It zooms in on the essential knowledge needed by an aspiring jazz saxophonist.

The two books definitely go hand in hand—Let’s Speak Jazz as the handbook with text and examples, and Let’s Play Jazz as the practical book with exercises and play-along audio.

Improvisation requires technical skill but also emotional expression. How do you find the balance between technical aspects and spontaneous, expressive playing?

It’s really a matter of experience and taste, I think. Technique should always remain a means to an end—not the end itself. Early on in my studies, I discovered the incredible technical skills of Charlie Parker and John Coltrane, but these great artists never allowed their technique to overshadow the musical message. That was an important lesson for me.

The technical aspects are just tools, and our technical limits actually help define our playing. Having less technique isn’t necessarily a negative thing—it can lead us to express ourselves differently. The young Miles Davis tried to play like one of his heroes but couldn’t; instead, he became Miles Davis!

Let's Speak Jazz Martin Jacobsen In this English workbook, saxophonists will find everything they want to know about sound, technique and improvisation. Drawing upon his many years of experience in the education and training of up-and-coming musicians, Martin Jacobsen provides a motivating introduction to the fascinating world of jazz improvisation for moderately advanced saxophonists.   View item in shop

“Technique should remain the means – not the end”

A closer look at Martin Jacobsen’s practice routine

What does your daily practice routine look like to further develop both technique and creativity? Do you have specific exercises that you would recommend to young musicians?

Usually, I have to work on repertoire for upcoming performances, but I always try to combine it with whatever technical challenges I encounter on the saxophone and wish to improve. The better my technique is, the more freedom it allows in my playing. I always spend time transposing ideas into all keys—not only is it essential for improvisational skills, but it’s also a great workout for the brain and helps me explore the full range of the saxophone.

I would recommend practicing scales and patterns daily, and also remembering to practice slowly, focusing on whatever needs improvement. Keep track of your progress by sometimes using a metronome and occasionally recording your practice sessions. My book Let’s Speak Jazz shows how to work with scales and patterns in a focused and useful way, and how to plan your practice.

How do you shape your improvisations within an ensemble? Are there particular strategies you use to respond spontaneously to other musicians?

It’s impossible to have a fixed agenda or strategy when playing jazz. Instead, I try to rely on my experience, my skills, my ears, and my intuition. Trust, confidence, listening, and being in the moment are really the most important elements to bring to the bandstand.

What makes complex harmonies easier – and simple ones harder

Many musicians struggle with improvising over harmonically complex pieces. How do you approach challenging harmonic structures? Do you start by developing melodic lines, or do you work directly with the chord progressions?

Personally, I find it more challenging to play over simple harmonic structures because you really have to be creative. A complex harmonic structure offers a more defined framework for improvisation.

Of course, you have to develop so-called instant recall, which I talk about in Let’s Speak Jazz, in order to navigate easily through complex chord structures. You can then develop melodic (horizontal) or harmonic (vertical) lines. Since I’m interested in harmonic possibilities, I study the chord structure both on the piano and the saxophone to gain a deeper understanding.

You have lived and worked in different countries. How have cultural differences and new influences shaped your music, particularly your improvisation?

I don’t think I’ve been influenced much by cultural differences or geography. Jazz music is a universal language without borders, and I find myself playing with musicians in many different countries with very different cultural backgrounds—yet we speak the same language: jazz! That’s the beauty of this art form.

Embracing imperfections on stage

Improvisation also means making mistakes. Can you share an experience where a mistake on stage led to an exciting turn in your performance? How do you generally deal with mistakes?

At a professional level, mistakes are not really “mistakes.” I would rather call them wrong choices or little imperfections that usually only the soloist notices—sometimes the other musicians as well.

It all happens very quickly and may well take your solo in another direction for a moment. We are human beings and not perfect—neither are our solos. I welcome those moments, and I trust myself and the experience of the rhythm section to deal with them in a positive way.

Of course, a real “mistake” like messing up the form, the melody, or the rhythm can lead to problems that even the audience will notice. In that case, it’s best to stop playing for a moment and trust your ears until things get back on track.

What advice would you give to young musicians seeking to find their own voice in jazz improvisation? Is there anything you wish you had known earlier when you first started in the jazz world?

We are all different from one another, and young musicians should never fear not finding their own voice—it’s already there. No matter how much we try to imitate others, we will never sound the same or play the same way. Our bodies (lips, mouth, tongue, larynx, etc.) are already different.
I think one reason saxophonists of the past often sounded so distinct is that they spent more time playing than listening to others—mainly because access to jazz via portable audio players and streaming platforms didn’t exist. The great Art Blakey said that he never listened to records and therefore just kept developing his own style, building on what he had learned in his formative years. That makes sense.

It’s also important to make some stylistic choices and carefully select the “ingredients” you want to add to your playing.

With hindsight, there are of course many things I wish I’d known earlier—for example, things you learn through formal jazz studies. On the other hand, doing it the hard way allows you to make your own discoveries. You definitely find out what is really important.