Russ, I long to go back to a live drummer with my keys and a guitarist, but that would mean canning my sax man and dropping most of my midi files. Canning the sax man is my biggest problem, he is an old friend.

Money for playing is secondary; I just want to play at this point. Of course, I'm not going out there for free or for $50 either.

As for keyboards, you've got a great stable of gear, so use it to your advantage. Even though I play mostly SMFs, I like to keep an arranger in my setup for the versatility. I like the E-60 I have now; it's economical and well-appointed. The G-70, PSR2k and 3k are great boards too. As long as one can get past the thought of using an "arranger" in a band situation, I feel that the sound sets in the ones I've owned are as good as their non-arranger counterparts.

Cassp, GOOD FOR YOU! I admire loyalty in a major way! One of my favorite duo jobs is with an old friend who plays sax and flute. It's a delightful change of pace. Rich is a monster jazz player and a collaborator since the mid-70's.

You've really got the attitude thing together, friend!


Russ