Happy Music Appreciation Day!!

It's not actually music appreciation day, or, maybe every day is music appreciation day? Sure why not. There are times, where musicians really just blow you away. Non musicians can be blown away easier. "Oh you can play Sweet Home Alabama? Wow!" And that makes people like me who write and play music feel good. Appreciation of one's craft by others is partly why we do it in the first place. For me, watching amazing players is one of my past times. I'm not a very good player - probably the best instrument I've ever played was a saxophone when I was young. I sucked at sight reading, cold reading or simply just reading music in general but I got by. Yet I felt connected to the sax where I could solo over jazz progressions with relative ease (for my age). I never felt that connection to a guitar, keys, bass or any other instrument. Even now when I play guitar my brain reverts back to sax. When I see amazing players play, it's alien to me - knowing that I can never and will never acquire that level of mastery. Yet I fancy myself more of a lyricist / songwriter than a player these days, so I don't get too depressed when I fall off the wagon on a relatively easy part that most would find unchallenging to play and I have difficulty. For example, something like Oscar Peterson's Etude from 1975 just blows me away. When I play this piece I don't want to watch the video - my eyes are not going to interpret what's going on so I turn up the volume and try to let my ear decipher what's going on, where the melody, where the percussiveness is going and try to hear where he's going. I listen for the accents, the glissando's, the patterns of the music and how it ripples through the air painting a picture in music. That's what I find amazing.

Who's Oscar Peterson? Pardon me. Oscar is probably one of a hand full of masters of jazz piano of the 20th century. I'd be lucky to find middle C on the keys, but I can certainly appreciate Oscars playing. As you watch the video, he switches between many different styles, his face shows where his brain is taking him. This is a purely improvised piece. The reactions of his trio in the background show exactly how amazing this performance is.

Next, Snarky Puppy. I've listened to them for about 7 years now. Probably their most insane and masterful piece of improvisation is Lingus. A mashup of funk, jazz, and fusion I can appreciate first how much time and masterful work goes into that level of play. The percussion is off the hook, in 5/4 and a dirty, dirty groove that permeates throughout the song. I'll never be one of those guys, but damn if it's not fun to watch them have fun! Other songs like "G0" and "What about me?" are staples in my Spotify playlist "Instrumental Soup" along with other classics from Weather Report, Octive Cat, and Gypsy Jazz masters "La Doigts de l'homme" and the Dave Weckl Band. (h/t to Martin Pitcherello. - I know he used to be a huge Dave Weckl guy!)

I know what you're thinking. "What's up with all this jazz garbage? Jazz is dead!" No, jazz isn't dead, it just smells funny (as the saying goes). Every genre has those who excel, who are the masters of their craft. Some country guys are as technical and fast playing as Rock guitar God of any era. Some jazz cats can play and amaze, and that goes for rock, jazz, blues, it doesn't matter. Musicians appreciate greatness regardless of where it is, regardless of genre, regardless of the year, the century, the country of origin, color or creed. Music transcends all of these things and whether you're a music lover, novice, writer - it doesn't matter. There are things that each of us loves about each others creations, things that we in our worlds know we can't do, could never do that others can and we love that music.