pianist vs. piano player

[ANNE V. GILBERT]

MIchal:

> perhaps the resources I've looked up were too poor or is it just that as a
> non-native I am just not able to judge it by myself but what (if any) the
> difference is between the two notions from the subject: "pianist" and
> "piano player".
> To the best of my knowledge, or perhaps rather to my "senses", I guess
that
> "pianist" refers mostly to the field of classical/chamber music or to
those
> artists who either play the piano solo or whose performance is central to
> the rest of the group/band (in jazz?). Whereas "piano player" would then
> perform as only one of the many members of a group/band.
>
> Am I making any sense or rather a fool of myself? ;-> Are these context
> sensitive? Help me out.

That's kind of my sense, too.  But then, I listen to a classical music
station a lot, so I may be biased.
Anne G