Why “The Puzzle?” It’s very simple. Improvising is a matter of solving a puzzle... a musical challenge. A worthy composition in this context provides an idea to be worked out during the improvising process. A famous example is the “Giant Step” cycle that is “Problem Solving 101” for all contemporary musicians; another might be finding just the perfect expressive devices to translate a melody from paper to sound; or how to permutate a specific motif through several minutes of playing, etc. Yes..., jazzers are always working on completing the puzzle. - Dave Liebman
