You might be right jdew,but they are exceptional players who spent hours listening to records and copying the sound. My music teacher was from the Squadronaires who not only read music he wrote it as well...he was a jazz fanatic and I still have his chord sheets...all hand written. It has helped me get back into music, and there is no doubt in my mind that theory is a must when trying to decipher some of the tabs and scores of today.