Of course, there are current music stars that I am impressed with -... But to head the list has to be Norah Jones:
Odd thing (or maybe not), is when I hear some 'modern' artists that I like (such as Norah Jones), it seems to me that their music isn't that different from what I liked in the 60's & 70's. I think that track could have pretty much been on the radio in the early 70's and it would fit right in. It's very good, IMO, but is it really 'modern'?
Right down to the Wurlitzer Electric piano sound in there. In the late 70's all the talk was that synthesizers were going to replace orchestras, bands would be a few synths and nothing else. Yet, I'm always amazed to see current performers with the old Hammond B3s, Fender Rhoades, Wurlitzers and the occasional Vox Continental in the line up. Still see plenty of guitars, and very few of the synth guitars that Jan Hammer and Tom Coster were using in the 80's.
I think (in their time) that American Jazz was really 'new', 'Swing' to a lesser extent, but I still think of it as a new and somewhat unique form, Bluegrass to me really has some elements that I just never heard before (though it draws on older music, as all art does), Blues, and Rock after that. I can't think of much music today that I would consider 'new' that I like - hate rap and all its forms.
I've probably said this before, but I think 99% of music at anytime is junk. It's just that when we are younger we are exploring and probably more open and tolerant and listen to the 99% to get to the 1%. I did it when I was a kid, don't have the patience to do it now, so I might miss the 1% that is good today. But again, most of that seems to be similar to the 1% of 30 years ago. So I don't feel like I'm missing much.
Evidence of that - seems like the 'Classic Rock' stations play the same 4 songs over and over
.
-ERD50
