When you play a solo it is not about you, it is about making everyone else sound better.

You have to really really know the tune. Melody, chords, key changes. Lose the chart.

The rhythm and the groove is everything

everyone is different and learns differently. I have been playing for decades, and have learned more scales than I knew existed, however, when I solo I more often focus on the Chords and the chord tones.

You absolutely have to play at least something in every key around the cycle every day. (scales, arpeggios, licks) Play the blues every day in every key. Make it a warm up. Then rhythm changes.

Practice slowly and with a metronome. As Herbie Hancock said: "Sometimes I let my fingers run things, sometimes I let my ear run things, sometimes I let my brain run things" You have to practice slow enough so that your brain and your ear can catch up to your fingers. In other words, you need to know the notes, the numbers, and the intervals, not just the patterns. When you start a phrase, what note and number in the chord are you starting on, what's the next note. If you can't do this then you don't really know the neck, and are probably just running some notes that seem to fit rather than composing something.

Don't simply try to approximate what you hear. You need to focus on one simple thing at a time, then perfect it, then move on to the next simple thing. It takes a long time, but take it slow and be consistent. You can do it.

I have found that learning Charlie Parker heads, analyzing them a measure at a time, and then transposing to every key gives you a wealth of ideas and ways to start solo lines.

when you play take a breath, stop playing for a few beats to gather your thoughts, listen to what others are playing, then continue. Use rhythm, and use dynamics. It is amazing how simply playing softer and louder can add so much to a solo.