Just a simpleton rocker

I was just thinking about how infrequently I listen to classical or jazz music. Maybe a few times a year I will put on a classical or jazz album. That's it! On the rare occasions I stray into foreign (but friendly) territory, it's never too long before I get the urge to "rock out" again.

Years ago, back when I was living in Manhattan, I used to go and listen to live jazz every once in a while; and I checked out more than a few bebop and fusion artists, and bought a handful of albums. Either I was just more interested back then, or maybe I just had more time for exploring. Because the awe and respect I had for guys like Chick Corea and Keith Jarrett, for example, just didn't inspire me to dive too far beneath the surface. Also, I always seemed more interested in jazz from a composition perspective, rather than as an improvisational art. In recent years, I've taken a liking to some of the Hammond organ players. (I'll call them players, not cats because, well, I'm just not that hip, dig?). And I'm not ashamed to admit I listen to Dave Brubeck's Time Out  once in a while. But jazz was just never my thing.

Regarding classical music, I also did a lot more listening when I was younger (but I will never go to an opera again!). These days I might listen to Stravinsky's Rite of Spring, or Holst's The Planets (and I'm not ashamed to admit that either!). The 20th-century material really has a rich harmonic language that appeals to me (like jazz, actually). But I'm more directly influenced by the earlier classical periods. Bach, Mozart and Beethoven certainly go a long way. But again, I hardly listen to them much anymore.

So, I guess I'm just a simple, un-cultured, knuckle-dragging rock musician at heart. That's my medium of expression, for better or worse. I tried and even marginally studied real music, and it just didn't snare me.

(note: Here's some trivia for anyone interested (ha!): My drummer Steve Golden studies with Joe Morello, the drummer on Brubeck's Time Out. When I asked Steve to come up with an intro to my song "The Wise Man", he had an idea to use the 5/8 pattern from Brubeck's famous "Take 5", and then transition it to 4/4 when the groove comes in. So if you listen to that song (on CPR 3), that's what's going on there in the beginning.)