I spent the last couple of nights catching up on the many CDs and downloads and links that I get. Again this is my personal opinion but I think long and hard about this stuff and I try to bring my life's experiences especially in music into my beliefs. When I listen to music these days especially jazz I am definitely feeling that many of these albums that I am hearing especially by new artists are made for other musicians and not to connect with the audience even though they may not realize this. I go back and I compare the albums that I bought when I was younger. To see the connection that Chick Corea's music from the 1970s had on the audience the other night was to me truly stunning. I always felt with the great albums I can hold on to every note and it would mean something to me. The albums I've been listening to the last few days don't give me any of that.
There is excellent musicianship on many of them. Obviously many that have gone to school to learn have learned great technique and can take it to the max. In the end however that's not what's going to connect and bring audiences into the music. It's the material and the emotion and how that emotion connects with the listener so they make the music a part of their lives. I picked out two albums from my listening that I felt had a connection with me. I'm just saying that when I make music I think about how it connects with real people not other musicians. I'll never forget sitting in the studio with Tommy LiPuma and him reading a bad review of an album he produced. I asked him how he felt about that and he said I don't care how critics feel about, what I do I care about how the real listener cares and right now we're selling albums. we are in a time when it is more important than ever for the music to connect anyway that I possibly can to bring people into the fold so a great scene can be created again. Just the way I'm feeling