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The Jazz Musician is one of the most famous archetypes of the "Struggling Artist." Jazz musicians can scarcely wait until we are in our green room away from lay earshot to grumble about how under-paid and under-appreciated we are. And it is often advised never to invite artists and musicians to dinner parties because we talk only of business, whereas businessmen take delight in discussing art and music.

I cannot wholeheartedly dispute these complaints. None of the health care proposals by any of the presidential candidates addressed our concerns. Fundraisers for sick jazz musicians are common events. Even when a jazz musician "makes it," they can expect only a fraction of the sales that pop or rock bands make. Today's mainstream jazz artists compete heavily with non-jazz CDs recorded by jazz artists, pop artists doing CDs of jazz standards, or even dead jazz artists. Diana Krall seems to be the only one that can sell like a pop star.

However, I have been certain that the jazz musician has several advantages over other artists. And recently a reality show confirmed my belief.

"Making the Band" is an on-going reality show chronicling the fabrication of an all-girl and an all-boy pop group by Sean Combs' Bad Boy Label. The girl group, Danity Kane, auditioned its members in 2004 and, after picking five girls, released two albums... both of which reached the Top Ten and have sold over a million copies. The boy group, Day 26, was formed in 2007 and has released an album selling over a half a million copies.

Both groups have been featured yearly on this reality show in a swank pad, logging in 18-20 hour days. They spend hours learning grueling dance routines from choreographer Laurie Gibson in scenes that make Debbie Allen from "Fame" fame seem coddling. They spend weeks recording in the studio. They fly around the US performing in clubs, malls, concerts, and sports events. And they are supposedly broke.

Recently, Danity Kane member Shannon decided to quit the band. She is from San Francisco Bay Area and she is having a hard time financially. After five years and two successful albums, she still can't afford to buy a house. She and her husband rent, and have a roommate in order to make ends meet. She rarely sees her husband because she is touring so much.

The boy group is having a tough time as well. One of the Day 26 members wants to leave the house and discontinue filming because he is completely broke. Another member lacks the funds to support his child. These artists live with cameras following them, so I'm sure that waiting tables on the side must be impossible unless they quit.

While the pay-offs for pop/rock musicians that "make it" are markedly larger than for jazz musicians, it remains true that even a beginning jazz musician can make money playing restaurants, clubs and weddings, whereas the pop/rock band is often paying for the opportunity to play bars and showrooms. Pop acts require huge entourages, handlers, and, at times, lots of smoke and mirrors. These invoices are all paid before the artist. And to top everything off, these bands are manufactured and controlled by the Svengali himself, Sean Combs.

The irony of watching two bands with platinum and gold albums currently on the charts and a weekly TV show fall apart because they can't afford to pay their rent is good reminder for all jazz musicians to count their blessings. Maybe we are playing at a wedding and we are asked to play "Fly me to the Moon" or "Girl from Ipanema" for the umptenth time. At least we get to control how we play the song, and we are certainly being compensated. Who is the poor country mouse and who is the rich city mouse?

"Times are hard, baby, and hustlin's really on. Prices are high and all the good jobs are gone" sings T-Bone Walker. Nothing attracts prosperity like prosperity. Maybe we should place more stock in the art than the struggling, and get invited to more of these fancy dinner parties!