Mo, I really WAS kidding, that's why I included the drummer. But I agree with you. To the extent possible, as a pro, it's your responsibility to accompany a singer in the key they request/require.

Your story about the singer who could only play in C reminds me of a great jazz organist I used to know by the name of "F# Lewis". I think his name (the only one I ever knew him by) says it all.

What I don't agree with you on (remember, it's all just opinion) is that hitting the transpose button will yield the same results as playing in the new key. Two things come into play (at least, for me). 1. Your phrasing and the way you voice the chords will be different; 2. Some songs just don't sound quite right except in the original key. A great jazz vocalist can usually overcome this (#2) with 'phrasing'. I can only speak for myself, but I certainly don't play straight-ahead blues the same in C as I do in F. There are riffs that you learn in one key that you just can't duplicate in another (I guess with enough practice, you could????).

In any case, I have nothing against using a transposer if that's what works for you, but after all these years of not using one (B3), why start now? BTW, on my Nord C1, there is no dedicated transpose button. Transposing requires a menu, several button pushes (some requiring the Shift key, some not), followed by a return to the main menu to change a program. Very poor design for those needing a quick transpose, especially in the middle of a tune, but I suppose the thinking was, it was designed mainly for B3 players who weren't used to a 'transposer' anyway. Who knows? Anyhoo, in the end, it's all a matter of personal preference.

chas