@Mac

"Some don't even think I'm actually playing along as well, and can accuse of mimic playing while the laptop is actually playing the part."

Just max out the volume on your keyboard and play a series of "wrong chords." Tell him you're trying to play like Monk did.

Then tell him if he would drop a couple hundred in the tip jar, you can have a bass player and drummer show up for the rest of the sets!!

(-:

THANKS for the great stories though....however frustrating. So, I will repay you in kind.

For those who think using tracks for certain parts is "amateur" or "bush league" my wife's band did six weeks at the Paris Las Vegas a few years ago. She had keys, bass, drums and sax but also HORN TRACKS!

Granted they were KILLER horn tracks arranged and created by a noted L.A. session player with sampled horns but they were TRACKS.

We used a dual CD player rig with a click track going into one side of the drummer's head set and the horn tracks going out to the house mixer.

So, if using tracks is OK with one of the most "big time" resorts in America, it ought to be OK in Bubba's Bar & Grill....ya think??

(-:

Jim