shouldn't that be "too" polite? LOL

Another word way overused is "Artist" Whenever we're making a record in Nashville, whoever is singing the song is called the artist. So no matter how crappy his songs, or how badly he sings them, he's the artist.

I suppose every person has his own scales for measuring how much talent other people have. My standard is pretty high for others and for myself.

To me, there is a difference between talented and skilled. In my mind, talent has a lot to do with creating your own music. Not necessarily writing songs or composing, but just being able to play your own thoughts and having good thoughts to play. A classical violinist or pianist who can pull off the most amazing composition flawlessly is definitely highly skilled. But to me, not as talented as someone who might have less technique but has a musical mind of his own and can improvize well and play just the right thing at the right moment. Mozart was the talent, those who play his music are supremely skilled. Art Tatum never wrote any songs that I know of, but he was more than skilled, he was talented, because he made the songs he played his own. He brought his own ideas, sensibilities, thoughts, to the song he was playing; and they were good ideas.