Ok, we love playing'em and gotta hav'em. Why?

1) What's the unique benefit about them for 'you'?

For me, in addition to its one man band live performance capability, it's the ability to explore, experiment with, and discover new rhythms for songs typically more familiarly heard in another style, giving us the ability to more easily make a song uniquely our own, vs emulating the cover version.

for the kinds of gigs that i do it's rare i can use more than 3 players. mostly it's solo or duo. i do a lot latin dance music. my choices are to play along with midi files/backing tracks or play left hand bass, right hand chords/melody along with a drummer or drum machine. midi files/backing tracks are too restictive. they leave no room to improv. playing 'live" with a drummer or drum machine would require skills i just don't have.

[This message has been edited by montunoman (edited 11-30-2010).]

Bobby Short played the Carlyle Hotel for 3 or 4 decades with just his voice and a grand piano, and if you weren't rich or famous, you couldn't get in the place. I don't think he worried too much about staying current with the music either. I'm just saying, arrangers are fun (for short periods) but are certainly not essential for a singles (OMB) gig. Being talented and a true professional helps. JMO.

chas

Now Bobby was a true gentleman of the profession. I did get in to see him once and it was an incredibly elegant evening. He was the real deal. I've had my share of grand piano/vocal gigs over the years and I enjoyed them all. But I must confess, I love my arranger. I love all of the options it gives me both on and off the stage. I'm hooked!

Joe

I too am a big fan of the late Bobby Short and got to see him live in a trio setting at Yoshi's Nightclub here , and even got to meet him backstage. Both a first class act and gentleman of wit and charm.

When I first started out, I played solo piano bar lounges, but soon discovered that adding a rhythm section (bass & snare drum) lessens the pressure of a solo performer, with other members providing backup support & enhancing the music so well, especially on those classic jazz-swing standards. The downside though is having to split the proceeds and having a lot less $ to take home, and musicians these days aren't really able to survive on that, so when I discovered the arranger, I opted to go the arranger keyboard route, to provide rhythm (drums & bass) and added instrumental soloing to boot. Though it's not as satisfying as playing with pro level live musicians, as Joe (above) said: "I love all the options the arranger gives me both on and off stage. I too am hooked" - Scott

Scott,

I love arrangers because they provide a mystique that takes me way beyond my own ability to make music, becoming a one-man ensemble/band/orchestra.

I don't gig, so it's one of my favorite escapes.

The other being photography... www.picasaweb.com/timspirations

Tim

Since a recent injury, I have had to rely on arrangers to work about 40-50% of my jobs.

Still would prefer not to use them, but glad I have them right now!


Russ

Actually that is the whole answer to your question...there is nothing special about them.

I think arrangers are pretty special.

It's great to be able to "arrange" (or "re-arrange") tunes using different styles and instruments...the ability to edit styles is what makes them so special today...earlier arrangers only gave you a finite number of preset styles.

Also, the arranger is only limited by the imagination and skill of the player...yes, some people look down on them, but it's usually those who can't seem to (or don't want to) explore them fully and get the most out of them.

I like playing with other musicians, but I like using the arranger just as much.

The biggest benefit for me is the immediacy of doing arrangements, and, of course, the ability to do solo performances with the added edge of having the accompaniment.

Can't imagine life without them now, although I still love playing the piano and jamming with my buds on the B-3.

Ian

Having been in the biz for more than a half-century, and performing as an OMB using nothing more than a guitar and my vocals when I was young, I heralded the day when arranger keyboards first became available. It provided me with an incredible array of instruments, versatility beyond my wildest dreams, and the freedom to perform alone, yet still retain the sounds of a live band. For me, the arranger keyboard is so much better than the guitars I've played, such much easier to play than a standard piano, and after all these years, performing nearly every day of the week, I still find time to be creative with the arranger keyboard. I LOVE EM'

Gary