The notated page is just a guideline - it sometimes struggles to accurately convey what is intended as this can never be an exact science. It is imperative that the player must listen to how things are done; and that is part of learning a language; whichever one that may be: big bands are called upon to play many different styles and to include many stylistic influences; so in fact, there is more than one language to be absorbed.
The point is that the notated page must be interpreted correctly and in accord with the musical style. If the style or language is not known then there is little scope to play it the way it should sound.
However, the issues surrounding interpretation are compounded by the lack of standardisation in the notational system. So, ever more so, the player must be familiar with different styles and their requirements.