chas ... a friend of mine who is an excellent sax player knew that he was going to lose his 9 - 5 due to 'downsizing' at the 'ripe old age' of 52 years ... fortunately, he had a year to prepare ... he did all the usual stuff to try to get another job but he was in a 'young persons' profession - computer graphics design ... he decided to augment his free lance graphics income by playing gigs, so along with some sax work with bands etc. he began studying piano really earnestly and got to the point where he could do solo gigs on piano or arranger at restaurants, CCs etc. AND he also did a fair amount of NH gigs as well ... he's NOT a vocalist, so I asked him how playing solo instrumentals was working at NHs and he said it was fine ... and apparently it was, because he did that for quite a while ...
While WE (those of us on SZ who play them quite a bit) each have our own 'shtick'/delivery/style/whatever, the bottom line for NHs is that these people want to be entertained, and if you are entertaining as a solo instrumentalist, you will get work also ...

Now as for the 'hysteria' over a new TOTL KB, I put that in the same place I put the hysteria over a new iPhone - "It's NEW, so it MUST be BETTER, so I HAVE TO have it" ...

BTW ... I have no idea as to why you don't think you have the skill set to play an arranger ?!?