Don, the musical establishment I'm referring to is rarely out of work. They have degrees from Juliard (or at least Berklee :)), can read a chart 'cold', play for 'The Tonight Show' or Letterman or some 25,000 member mega-church, and are on first call at half the major studios in the country. They also teach at the nation's finest schools and universities and are generally unfamiliar with the term 'my day job'. When they DO play in bars, it's usually for fun and 'letting off steam'. The words 'mainstream' or 'musical establishment' almost by definition excludes the 'weekend warrior' or those who have some other primary occupation. I only say this to distinguish between my and your definition of 'mainstream'. This is not to demean those OMB's who have carved out a nice comfortable living within that venue, but I think they make up a very tiny minority and therefore are not who I would consider the 'mainstream' of the PROFESSIONAL musical community.

Respectfully,

chas