I am interested to some degree in about five main kinds of music.
(1) Jazz, basically all of it from the beginning through the present day. Within the jazz tradition, I have many sub-interests, but my main love is everything from Lester Young to the death of Coltrane.
(2) Everything known as "classical" music from Baroque to Morton Feldman. Here my erudition is not as extensive, so I am always happy to hear new things. I rarely dislike any canonical composer, but my main love is J.S. Bach.
(3) If I could play in a band, however, I would play conga in a salsa band. My 3rd kind of music is anything Afro-Cuban. I can play a bembe or tumbao, or a martillo on bongos. I love the polyrhythmic complexity of this music.
(4) I also am developing my knowledge of Flamenco. I am pretty familiar now with the canon of La Niña de los Peines through Miguel Poveda.
(5) Would you like to guess what my 5th music is? That's right: classic R&B and Soul, with some neo-soul thrown in.
These are listed in approximate order of my knowledge and level of interest. If I had to list a 6th, it would be classic rock, including things that I half listened to when I was in college. Steely Dan and Fleetwood Mac were big back then.
So you understand my problem. There is only one of me and six kind of music I want to be listening to at any given time. I am lucky I never developed an interest in opera or bluegrass.
I have the same problem, very broad musical tastes, but I concentrate on classical music (primarily 20th century - I'm listening to some Frank Bridge as I write this) and soundtracks – stuff I can write over – but I have very little patience for opera from any era. Jazz I like – if you ever get a show where you are called Treme jump at it – but I’m nowhere near as knowledgeable here; I know what I like but I tend to play it a bit safe. But you name it, blues, folk, country, rock, indie … I’ll give it a listen. I like some soul but I wouldn’t rush out to buy any.
ResponderEliminarAfro-Cuban!!
ResponderEliminarI for one would love to hear more from you about this category. (Right now I'm more interested in the Afro side of the hyphen, esp Les Bantous de la Capitale, but I like the hyphen side of the hyphen too -- Kenny Dorham, I mean. About the Cuban side I know only what I've gleaned from Ned Sublette.)
The Cuban rumba and son are very closely related to each other and to West African rhythms from Mali and thereabouts. I have an interesting compilation cd of African musicians playing Cuban music. Some day I'll get into Afro-pop from Africa itself.
ResponderEliminar"There is never enough time to hear an excess of talent." -- Billy Strayhorn
ResponderEliminar