I indeed don't take gigs who required high level of reading, I mean big-band musicians, they LOVE to read !!!
I took one big-band gig longtime ago, never again, what a pain in my head !!!
Weirdly musicians were happy with my work because I was playing as simple as possible, I told them that I could not do more than that anyway...
They told me "yeah good stuff Rodge, you missed some kicks here and there, but at least you did not overplaying like (a famous french drummer...)..."
If I don't hear the music and that I'm available, I tend to say yes, if I listen the music before, often I'd say no.
Gene Lake told me that if he heard Steve Coleman's music before, he would have turned down the gig, in the same time, he says that it's good to challenge itself, but me I don't know about that.