Gary,
You're comparing the "worst" of live players to the "best" of solo gear.
Unfair comparison.
I love the freedom and stability of working alone too, but there is NOTHING like ensemble playing. NOTHING in the world.
Pity the budgets and the temperaments have made it come to this kind of choice. I used to be proud to tell people that I was a professional entertainer ..... nowadays, it seems like I am justifying my carreer choice more and more.
It still beats anything else I could be doing but .... you know the drill......
It gets harder every year to stay at the top of your game. I feel like Joe Montana when he got to Kansas City. Sigh......