The strange thing is that these solo musicians, although ostensibly they secure enough in themselves to play alone, are desperately trying to sound as if they DO have a bunch of guys onstage, playing with them.... Almost as if they don't have enough confidence in what they play to eschew the automatic backing.

If solo creativity is what you crave, get a piano and just play that. Plenty of great musicians have made a name (and a living) by doing just that. But if you feel the need for full arranger backing, you are basically admitting that you AREN'T strong enough to go it alone. Or that what the audience REALLY wants is a real band, but the club's finances or the performer's greed or insecurity about playing with others dictate that path. Don't try to pass it off as preference unless you are willing to TRULY go solo.

Very few of the great performers of out times preferred to play alone, other than a few pianists and guitarists, and most of them split time between solo work and ensemble. They felt the need to recharge their creative juices from time to time, and when they played solo, they played solo, NOT to a backing track.

Maybe I'm just lucky, and have had the privilege of playing with musicians that made me WANT to keep playing with live players, that could NEVER be comparable to the canned phrases that come out of arrangers. Your mileage may vary.

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If the above sounds a little harsh, please forgive me. It's just that I've never been accused of preferring to play with others as a crutch to my insecurity!

No man is an island......