Ya gotta give it to Diki...he's articulate and passionate about what he does, musically.
I am in a place right now where I have to play arrangers. They're OK, but never even close to replacing real musicians for the style I want to play.
They're great tools, and right now, I wouldn't be working without them. And, even before my accident, they're an economic necessity for some of my jobs.
Again, I believe that a person who's primary focus is entertainment would prefer an arranger. A person who primarily is a musician would prefer to play with other musicians.
The unspoken interplay in a free form mode between musicians of equal skill and creativity is the highest of highs. Trading fours, modulations on the fly, medlies...playing off of each other...brief allusions to other tunes is amaising, but only works in certain situations.
I guess if you put a big "FOR ME" in front of the opposing posts, it's easy to see both are right for the individual.
I see Jim's points, and his approach works for him. That's not the way I do it, but that doesn't mean I'm right and he's wrong. And, if he and I or Diki and I have a chance to play together, I believe we'd have a BALL!
The key is to find a way to play in a manner that brings you and your audience joy.
After all, isn't that why we're all here?
Play on, however you choose to do it.
Russ
[This message has been edited by captain Russ (edited 07-23-2009).]