I think the point I was trying to make Russ, is that arrangers can EASILY fool a less knowledgeable player into thinking he (or she!) doesn't NEED to learn anything more...

Heck, it SOUNDS like you are playing well, doesn't it...?

Trouble is, so little of it is YOU. You don't take credit when you listen to an iPod for the music that you are listening to, but so many arranger beginners (and some who should know better!) somehow think that when they hold a C chord, and out comes a great bigband sound, that it actually IS them playing

Turn off most of the parts, take a real gander at your actual playing, then decide if learning to PLAY, or learning to control a MACHINE that is playing most of it is more important to you...

Do you want to be the driver, or do you want to be the passenger?