Arpeggio + Approach Pattern = Flashy Lick

Arpeggios are a sure bet when soloing. When in doubt, you can always play an arpeggio and it will sound good. And by combining an arpeggio with an approach pattern, you can build a flashy run that falls under your hand well and can be played blazingly fast all the way up the keyboard.

Anthony Wonsey uses this technique in the solo piano intro to Just in Time (at about 0:18) from his 2004 Sharp Nine trio album Blues for Hiroshi.

Over the F7 he plays a 35b79 arpeggio and then a chromatic from below/double chromatic from above/chromatic from below combination approach pattern. From here he just repeats the pair for two more octaves.

He plays a similar lick in the A section of his solo to the tune.

To learn more about that lick as well as other improvisational techniques that he uses watch the Improvising Over Just in Time course where a chorus of his solo is analyzed to see how he uses chord tones, arpeggios, chord scales and approach patterns to build his solo.