Spalding, guys like Marco Parisi can play the heck out of anything with keys. The Arranger doesn't make him sound good, he makes the Arranger sound good.....there's a difference. You continue to trot out how an arranger is this amazing tool, and you're right....it CAN be. But what we're talking about here is not the instrument itself but the way it is used by some to delude people, including sometimes themselves, into thinking they are better musicians than they really are. Every guy you named is a top flight musician and would be still, even if there were no such thing as an arranger keyboard. That's why they were hired in the first place. But they are not your typical arranger players or arranger buyers.

It bothers me not the least to see someone like Russ or Rory play an arranger kb. That's because when I want to see how a talented, well-seasoned, tasteful jazz guitarist tackles ballad accompaniment, I pull out Russ' video of 'What are you doing the rest of my life' (which I listen to at least a couple times a month) or a Country-leaning musician like Rory accompanying a jazz vocalist on acoustic piano. What that means is that these guys are NOT using an arranger as a crutch for not being able to play at a 'pro' level.

There is absolutely no reason not to enjoy the pleasures that a $5000.00 self-playing instrument can bring, but I always get the feeling of a prostitute telling you how 'good' you are and how much she loves you. With the constant chorus of 'attaboys' we get on this board, no matter how amateurish the performance, it's no wonder we love our arrangers so much. Where else in the world is there where we can do no wrong. Let's face it boys, this is 'warm fuzzy' heaven. Hey, who needs reality when the alternative is so, so sweet. Anyhoo, let me get back to my studio and crank up my trusty Tyros 2 (hasn't been turned on in about a year). I want to see how 'Take Five' sounds as a cha-cha. I'm gonna do it in one take, too.



chas