There are several misconceptions regarding jazz in the Seventh-Day Adventist Church - and on a most fundamental level. Other denominations have tended to be much more accepting of this genre - but this ought not to be taken as a sign that they have actually understood what jazz music really is!
The ability to improvise is as God-given as the ability to compose and perform. Contrary to many ill-conceived notions, jazz is a 'classical' music form that is stupendously difficult to master, and understood by very few people - for no other reason than that it demands greater concentration in listening than many average music-lovers are prepared to expend. Far from being a popular music form, jazz is listening music for serious music lovers - and only the fact that an ethically-corrupt music industry insists on promoting certain musics as jazz - when they are patently not jazz - hinders many from discovering the honest joys of serious jazz music for themselves, and realising that some jazz artists create music that is more inherently spiritual than much of what passes for 'gospel' (see other pages on this site for more insights into this).
There is much, much more to be said on this subject, and this page will go through much expansion and revision. But at least the above is a start. Please keep watching this space!