Now, don't get me wrong, everybody, you all know I own and use arrangers very gratefully in my professional life, it's just that I don't try to kid myself that using them is any better (or even as good as!) than a real rhythm section.

I try to play with as many full bands as I can, and only use the arranger if budget or opportunity are not there. For those of you that somehow feel that playing with an arranger is 'better' than the real bands you may have played with in your younger days, I feel sad.....

To have never played with musicians that lift your spirits and lubricate your creativity is a great loss, and, no matter how successful your arranger business is, if you lose touch with playing live, with BOTH HANDS, reacting TO what your rhythm section does rather than making it react solely to you, you get further and further away from the source of real music.

Music is a conversation, not a speech.....

[This message has been edited by Diki (edited 01-19-2007).]