Music theory is both the languages of music and the formal study of those languages. Improv musicians communicate with something, and it often looks like the body of music theory around that tradition because the body comes from the tradition.
Trying to separate theory from its basis is folly. Like the scientific method and the body of scientific knowledge, it's important to remember one follows the other, but I'm still employing centuries of science every day even if I can't name it all.
Jazz musicians who can't cite theory don't use 7ths by accident.
That's a very academic perspective which I cannot share as a musician. Music needs no formal specification to exist. It's like a language, but a language for emotional, not rational communication. Btw. science exists by itself as well and doesn't depend on a "scientific method". Like in music, philosophers tried to understand how science works after the fact, and there is a plethora of philosophic optinions how science works. And we can pretty well do science without caring much of all those opinions. The same applies to music.
> Jazz musicians who can't cite theory don't use 7ths by accident.
I don't understand this argument. It's unavoidable to use 7ths, regardless whether the musician can name the interval or not.
I think we're closer than you realize, and I just did a poor job laying out my position. Unfortunately, I lack the language to get closer to what I mean.
Trying to separate theory from its basis is folly. Like the scientific method and the body of scientific knowledge, it's important to remember one follows the other, but I'm still employing centuries of science every day even if I can't name it all.
Jazz musicians who can't cite theory don't use 7ths by accident.