Hmmmm
I see what you're saying, but I have to disagree back at you.
Jazz is really intimidating to improvise over. You need to learn about a whole wack of arpeggio shapes, all kinds of theory to do chord substitutions, learn when to play "outside" to build tension and such before you can really just improvise effectively in a live situation.
And jazz moves fast, the rhythm section does strange things and they substitute chords, do bizarre exentions and voice leading that makes the changes harder to follow.
So when you start out, you simplify it. Start with pentatonics and learn how to add chord tones to tie solo into the harmony. Eventually the chord tones take over and the pentatonics drop away. In the meantime, at least you can do it.
More than half of improvising is coming up with lines that express yourself and work with the harmony. It's really, really hard to do extemporaneously with Jazz if you don't have a lot of experience. So why not take the time, slow the song down and work out those lines that express yourself beforehand? Then play that live, and build up some experience and confidence.
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