For once in his life, Fran is dead right. All, and I mean ALL, of the steady-working pro's will use break-time to shmooze visiting club owners, influential customers, etc. It truly is a word-of-mouth type of business.

Funny thing though, Tom. I left Hawaii two years ago and although I had pretty much retired from active playing and concentrated on jazz composition and arranging, I found that having introduced myself to (members of) the two hottest jazz groups on the island (Big Island), and sitting in on a couple of their gigs, I was suddenly on constant call. This led (somewhat reluctantly) to doing most of the resort circuit on the Kona side including solo piano bar gigs in the resort hotels. Obviously there is a shortage of KB players on the Big Island as I'm not that great a piano player (always wished I could play great "lounge" piano with the limitless repetoire (sp)). I know things are quite different on Oahu which I always thought of as NYC with a beach. Where are you located?

BTW, Hawaiian music gives me acute nasuea and on the Big Island, only a few tourist traps feature it. It's usually either jazz or rock. Maybe it's time to move, much cheaper to live over on the Big Island as well.

Aloha,

chas