Very well said Fran.
I am not sure why people feel the need to defend playing an arranger.
I only had once someone come up and say: So, you are only pushing buttons.
Didn't bother me. Some ignorant person. I asked if they would like to sit down and show me how to push just buttons.
That took care of that.
Most of the time people come up to me and say: Wow I did not know that you can do all that with just a KB
Anyways. I enjoy the hell out of playing an arranger and couldn't care less what others think.
My audience and I are having a great time. That's all it matters

Eric

Fran, I agree with most (or all) of your points and admire your dedication to your instrument of choice; AS I AM TO MINE. But with all due respect, you missed the point of my post; in fact, you pretty much proved my point (about the 'defensive' thing and all). With the "very well said, Fran" comment, apparently so did Eric. I respect your choice of instrument; too bad you can't respect mine. My instrument is more suitable to the type of gigs I play(ed) just as I'm sure the G70 and SMF's is more suited to the type of gigs you play. That doesn't mean I 'hate' arrangers; how could I, having owned so many of them (and still do). My question was, why are people so defensive about playing arrangers? Saying "I play arranger but I don't use styles" IS defensive. Praising it's feature set (sequencer/midifile player/Vocal harmonizer, etc.) is fine but does not answer the question of why some (but not all) seem to be almost embarrassed to embrace this type of instrument (such as emphasizing how they NEVER, EVER use it's most prominent feature...auto-accompaniment). The fact is, if you don't need 'style play', then you probably don't need an arranger keyboard, as most of the other features can be had on a much less expensive workstation.

But in any case, this post was not about WHY you use an arranger (as I said before, WHO CARES?), but why you feel the need to defend that choice at every turn.

BTW Fran, HOW 'BOUT THEM EAGLES'.

chas

Very true, BUT, anytime I see a soloist (other than a OMB) or a combo/band with a keyboard player - KORG, YAMAHA, ROLAND, NORD, whatever, I always try to check it out, and I don't EVER remember seeing an arranger kb in a setting like that, whether it be jazz, pop, rock, you name it ... ESPECIALLY if the venue is one where the players are expected to be 'top shelf' ...

PS: I thoroughly enjoy playing my AKB and make no apologies for it ... after all, it really doesn't do anything unless I tell it to ...

Last Saturday playing in a restaurant lounge, I had a full dance floor, going from one 50'S - 60's rock song to another ... someone asked if I had a certain song "IN THERE"... at that point I killed everything but the drums and bass and raised my arms in the air and said "this thing will keep playing the same thing, unless I do something with it" ... my point was made ...

Hi Chas,
I don't think I missed your point, especially if your read the second half of my post. I might not have expressed myself adequately?
You know you think one way and write down another way LOL.
Really don't care what people think.
Even if I played a Kazoo
I love arrangers, love B3's, love Pianos, love Guitars, love Music ....
My personal impression is that some folks project their feelings onto others and the audience, that playing an arranger is not in the same league as playing other instruments and/or that they are not as great of musicians.
That seems to come through reading those defensive arrangers discussions.
Most people really don't care. (except on this forum)
My experience in life is, that people become defensive when they feel threatened: Physically or Psychologically (EGO and image of themselves)
Eric

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

I’m a little late to the party but my 2 cents anyway:

We have been staying this winter in a place called The Villages. There are 3 town squares where dance music is played 7 nights per week with a different band playing Some bands rotate at which town squares they play at. For the most part it’s all bands playing, but once a week you’ll see a DJ at one of the town squares. Then there are restaurants that seem to have singers working with backing tracks. To date I’ve seen one guy using a Korg Pa3x, but while we were at the restaurant I never saw him touch the Pa3x, he was actually working with backing tracks and singing using some type of DJ rig I did not recognize. There’s another restaurant and we hope to get there some Friday night since the one promo photo I saw shows the guy playing a Tyros not sure which model.

Right now the most enjoyment I’m getting with music is playing a 1 hour weekly piano solo gig in the lobby of an upscale medical center that specializes in cancer treatment. It’s great they have a $695 Yamaha Portable Grand all I do is show up and start playing do my hour and leave. When I took the gig I expected it to be low key wallpaper music and on the somber side because of the nature of the facility. It’s not one of those gigs you expect a lot of audience reaction but have to say have had some very positive response. Only problem as we know these type gigs are few and far between at least for me.

Ed made a good point with what he wrote:

and ACCORDION !!!



Another organist on his first musical instrument ...

Curse you, Tony Mads.



chas

We bought a 10 year old Lund fishing boat last summer. There actually are a great number of prime boating lakes close to where we live in western MN.