Embellishment in Music - Good or Bad?

A woman rushes over to the piano tonight when I'm playing at Salamander Resort & Spa.  I soon learn that I am playing her favorite piece, a bossa nova jazz piece called "Corcovado (Quiet Nights of Quiet Stars)" by Antonio Jobim.  She says she just started her piano lessons, and this is the song she's learning (her choice).  She notices I'm playing from sheet music but throwing in a lot of musical "bling," as I call it (extra runs and arpeggios).  She says it's beautiful, but seems intrigued with my method.

"You mean you're just making it up on the spot like that?" 

"Yes, that's what I do," I reply.  

I make up my interpretation on the spot.  I add tons of notes that aren't written, but I stay in the chord.  I have a sketch in my mind (I even put notes on my leadsheets), but I try to make it a little different each time I play it.  This is what jazz is, people.  And a lot of it is not planned!  Why do I embellish?  Two reasons:

1.  Because sometimes the arranger who arranged that version of the song you're playing wasn't that creative.  You see, s/he probably had to dumb down the song to boost sales to a market of average pianists.  If you play a piece like this exactly as written, the piece will often sound empty and dull.  In all honesty, I prefer a lead sheet with no left hand written out.  That leaves me to complete creative liberty, and I can also showcase my advanced technique by adding some runs, tricks, and arpeggios.  I can thicken harmonies, change chords, change registers, or just add more texture by changing the left-hand accompaniment pattern.

2.  Because it keeps your performance fresh if you incorporate new, spontaneous ideas with each performance of the piece.  And this captures people's hearts.  (I believe that you play with more feeling when you're making it up as you go along.)

But guess what?  A lot of musicians are scared to death to experiment with embellishment.  They have been programmed from the first lesson to play EXACTLY WHAT'S ON THE PAGE, NOTE FOR NOTE.

But isn't that like following a script?  Or being controlled by a piece of paper?  Who wants their art to be completely controlled by a piece of paper?  Not me!  It's just too rigid for an artist.

Now I should speak up in defense of classical music.  I do play exactly the notes on the page when I am playing Beethoven and Chopin -- as it should be.  For classical pieces, your interpretation does not take the form of adding extra notes.  You can experiment with tempo variations, dynamics, and articulation, but adding extra notes insults the composer.  I am a composer, so I get this.  But for jazz and popular, the invitation is wide open to interpret and arrange that piece however you want to.  How do people react to my creative arrangements?  Most people, by and large, love it.  Many want copies of my arrangments. However, you do have those uptight squares who say stuff like:

"I like it played exactly like it's supposed to be.  Look, there you go again, [as I'm embellishing].  You probably can't help yourself, can you?" (actually quote from a listener)

This same individual told me that Stephen Sondheim can't write music, so I basically dismissed his comments. Of course, I adore Sondheim's edgy Broadway hits.  I can't take it personally when someone makes a dig at my style.  I won't change who I am as an artist because one person dislikes my style.