Eric, yep you got it. That was exactly the kind of EXPLANATION I was looking for from the beginning. Also, I think you hit the nail on the head. Another reason is that criticism by other musicians may have helped cultivate this defensive attitude. I hope I have not contributed to this but many here think I'm an arranger hater. That's hard for me to understand given the number of arrangers I have owned over the years. I just chose not to use them for gigging; or better stated, I prefer the organ trio/quartet format for professional gigs. Joey Defrancesco, Jimmy Smith, Groove Holmes, Jack McDuff.....they're all my heroes, they're all strict organ players (although Joey plays a mean trumpet), and they're all known and respected world wide in the jazz world. I cannot think of a single STRICT arranger player that rises to that level of recognition and respect. In other words, there are world famous trumpet players, violinist, cellist, pianist, even (dare I say) accordionist. I don't know of any arranger players of that stature (the factory demonstrators are known to arranger aficionados but to few others). This HAS to say something about the instrument and it's rank in world of music. I think most musicians think of it more as a musical TOOL than a musical instrument. But in the end, it's always a personal opinion and a matter of what an individual wants. Cheers.

chas