I can play by ear especially well and can read music proficiently, but I rely on hearing more than sight and imagination more than either. Improvisation is my specialty, "sight reading" is probably my weakest area but I can do it when I have to.

Started playing about the age of five totally by ear and could play anything I heard, began lessons at the age of nine. By the age of fourteen I was playing both solo and in bands professionally and I never stopped. Had a great high school music teacher that taught real theory and composition classes that helped solidify my reading and writing comprehension a lot. I won several talent shows and competitions in my youth and have performed as guest soloist with major symphonies.

I rely equally on memory and on single and double-page leadsheets as Scott does, but mostly I have created my own rather than rely on the Hal Leonard variety (print is too small for stage use). Recently found a fake book I love: Warner Brothers "Just Jazz Real Book": http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/det...=glance&s=books
These leadsheets are easy to read and can be copied and used right from the book. There is a "Just Standards" in this series too.