Well, sadly this has taken a turn different from the original intent. In fact, we can even see WHERE that turn occurred. But, back to one of the two points I was trying to make (which only one person actually addressed), and that is, that on most OMB arranger gigs, it's the SINGING, not the arranger playing, that gets the folks out of their wheelchairs and onto the dance floor. I know that there are some exceptions, people who only do instrumental gigs, but they are in the minority and generally don't play nursing homes or dance-friendly gigs.

There are two kinds of audiences; those that are out to be entertained (in the most general sense) and those that go for the music. The first group would include Nursing homes, dance-oriented clubs, casinos, even churches. The latter would include jazz clubs, certain coffee houses, some upscale restaurants and country clubs. Obviously there is some overlap so don't bother posting that you know of an exception.

If the singing is good, assuming you belong to that majority that are singer/players, nobody is going to exclaim, "OMG, did you hear how realistic the guitar audio loop that's buried in that style was?". So again, for the benefit of those who are so obsessed about the presence or absence of every little feature or sound nuance, I'll say it again, IT'S THE SINGING, STUPID.

chas