To the newbie, the whole thing may seem chaotic. Yet, simply knowing that the improvisation takes place over the original chords and form of the song can make a big difference in orienting the neophyte to where in the song the players are. I often advise new listeners to jazz to simply hum the main tune in their mind once the improvisation begins—this is what the improvisers themselves are often doing—and that enriches the experience considerably.
