Quote:
Originally posted by Bill in Dayton:
I know there are much, much better keyboard players than me out there. Ask Cassp, I've been negative with him about my own kb skills, but he says I'm wrong. No elitism here, lol...

I've played in bands a long, long time and I've never seen one where everyone followed the drummer. That's NOT to say we're not all keenly aware of the tempo, but as the kb player/lead vocalist...if I decide to push the tempo a tad, my guy knows how to follow me. In my quartet, we've worked together for 11 years or so and me, the drummer and bass player all move as one. The sax player does his thing...

That said...

I don't think its elitist if someone decides for whatever reason to play with only an arranger, as opposed to other instruments. Its just different.

I've played in bands since I was 17. That's 32+ years of working in that format. I've done that and continue to a few times every month. Working with an arranger the last five years has been awesome as it is at least as cool but in a different way.

My band won't/can't rehearse. That limits what we can do detail wise on our tunes. We've come up with an approach where we're able to work in tunes in a way that the audience enjoys and dances to. Not all the ideas I have for material can work in the band, but almost anything I think would work CAN work in the solo mode. The learning curve for me with a new tune is much shorter than it is for my band. The band will get through it, the guests will dance, but its very simplistic. As a Solo, I can produce a much more polished tune much faster. That's one advantage of working by myself. Typically, I think my solo work is more polished and complete sounding. Can't say that for the band, especially with new material. However, it is 4 actual musicians interacting on stage. The interactions are different

One's not better or worse, just different...



Spot on, Bill.