America generated two great art movements—Jazz and Abstract Expressionism. Both movements altered their European precedents with American heroic individualism. This manifested itself in embracing improvisation and the myth of the transcendent genius. These similarities were reflected in noted art critic David Hickey’s Deconstruction of Jazz: “Jazz presumes that it would be nice if the four of us – simpatico dudes that we are – while playing this complicated song together, might somehow be free and autonomous as well.”