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Originally Posted by Severian
True, improv is one of the main characteristics of jazz as a whole, but the way you describe it, jazz can't exist without improvisation and an established melody. Polyrhythm and syncopation, swing notes are all equally important parts of the musical profile of jazz. I feel like what you're really talking about is cool jazz, which definitely relies heavily on improvisation over a traditional melody.
Also, I actually think that techno and beat and electronic hip-hop have evolved to the point where real time improvisation, and live manipulation of styles and sounds can be achieved. It's been like this for some time. It's not as modal as it is in jazz, but maybe that's because it's not an evolution of jazz itself, but the influence of jazz touching other former of music entirely.
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your second point I agree with. The first point however, is a bit off. "cool jazz" is melody based on modal scales, not tonal scales. I did not mean to say that a specific melody had to be followed, but that it was the basis of the improvisation. How to get from note A to note B and do so in a new and never before heard way. Jam bands like Phish and such use such improvisation and so does a lot of latin music, especially stuff like salsa and bossanova, but it is not jazz per se.
Ornette Coleman's early free jazz work consists of the group playing the set melody for about 15 seconds and then going off into free improv of all instruments at once.
Big Bands have everyone keep a set groove and they improv in their individual bits. It depends on whether the jazz is intended as dancing music or listening music. dance music needs to have a set beat and rhythm for the dancers, and jazz/jass originated as dancing music, like the blues.