Ha - you know me too well!:)

Ultimately, one of the biggest aspects of improvisational playing is the ability to transmit the ideas from your brain to your fingers - so in that respect, the more technical ability you have, the more improvisational potential there is.

IMO, there is a huge value in learning solos and licks note for note - it increases your technical strength while adding to your well of licks and ideas. But it also develops your improvisational instincts - you are getting inside the construction of solos, the dynamic arcs, shapes, and phrasing used by the masters. As you add to your repertoire, you'll be building your instincts on how to construct and shape solos in real time.

So in addition to learning solos note for note, also take time in your practice routine to work on improvising - for example - making up solos over a 12 bar blues backing track.

Make sense?

Mike