I agree, Diki. Good musicians are a dime a dozen everywhere. I've heard some keyboard players that are just incredible, guitar players that seem to have fingers that glide over the frets and never miss a note, sax players that never seem to take a breath, but most are not entertainers. Entertainers get the jobs because the audiences want to be entertained - it's that simple. I just talked with a restaurant owner tonight who told me it costs him about $300 for a duo to perform for 4 hours. They don't get paid $300-they get $150 plus tips. They also get free drinks and any meal on the menu. Then there's the ASCAP/BMI fees, and other miscellaneous costs. In order to recoup that $300 he must sell an additional $900 in meals and drinks, which rarely happens.

Cheers,

Gary