For all intents and purposes, the kinds of licks that you might use in a Latin jam are equal to those you might use in a jazz session. In fact, jazz electric bassists often play Latin grooves and fast sambas. In fusion jazz, it is common to almost never swing but instead to play grooves borrowed from Latin, funk, and rock. Jaco Pastorius, whom you learned about in Chapter 8, was one of the great pioneers of fusion. He was also extremely deft on a Latin tune.

To play jazz and Latin licks and lines it takes practice and a lot of study. Unlike rock, blues, and even R & B/funk, jazz and Latin require true erudition. Unless you're a natural born genius, you can't just use your ears to learn how to play in these idioms. Furthermore, to be able to improvise a hot jazz or Latin lick you will need to really steep yourself in the cultures of these styles. Luckily, in this chapter, and throughout the rest of the book, you'll learn some tricks of the trade that can help you demystify and unlock the secrets to creating jazz and Latin lines and licks.

The first thing that will help you put some snaky jazz and Latin licks and lines together is another scale. This scale is extremely versatile and multi-purpose. Without a doubt, it can immediately bring your jazz skills up about ten notches. What is this scale? It is the almighty melodic minor.