Buddy and Julie Miller.
Buddy as musician.
Julie as writer.
Does a particular musician’s songwriting and artistry speak to you above all others?
I’ve enjoyed all forms of music over the 60+ years of music being the one constant in my life. My music tastes have certainly evolved over time. I’ll cover that in another thread some day. Currently i find myself listening to jazz > 95% of the time. There is one particular artist who really speaks to me and i thoroughly enjoy each of the >270 songs he has written, arranged, recorded, and produced. Every other artist falls far short for me.
Guitarist Chris Standring lays down unique grooves in each song that can inspire (in me) toe tapping, soulful reflection, sensuality, air guitar picking, and other effects depending on the song.
This is a personal connection I’ve developed with Standring’s music. I’ve had the opportunity to hear him play in an intimate diinner music house in Nashville the past 2 years. My wife loves his music also, which is the cherry on top!
Does anyone else have a musician who speaks to them?
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A lot of what has already been mentioned for me (Dylan stands out), but I'm partial to Elvis Costello. A lot of songs he's written, I can't imagine how someone can think up lyrics like that. "Wish that i could push a button, and talk in the past and not the present tense. Lyrics like that......come from an amazing place. |
With each decade someone new floats to the top of my list. The days of Zeppelin, Grateful Dead, ABB etc are past, though I still listen to them. I spend most of my time searching for music from my youth I missed out on. Most of it is Fusion Jazz but there is some new music I love and at the top of that list right now is Chris Stapleton and a guy named Ryan Bingham. I always look for music that moves me to dance or otherwise react physically to it. Little Feat fits that bill to a tea. Qobuz has allowed me to expand my musical horizons and believe it is the best $150 I ever spent on music in any given year. edit: Forgot to mention, to this day I still listen to Zappa and Bowie religiously |
OUAT.....there were daze like this... with the opener ’...cocaine and bottle of gin...’, only one of which I like....can’t say I wasted my previous era in That Exact fashion... ...but saw enough of it to avoid like the Covid Demon Days..... But....the lyrics kinda brought back some of the flavors of boring thru it.... and one of the reasons I bailed on L.A. |
>> Songwriting, for me, is words/stories, then combine that with Artistry. So Jazz doesn’t fit for me even though Jazz is my main thing for many years. << It seems to me that Abbey Lincoln (definitely a jazz singer) fits your definition VERY well. She’s a favorite of mine, anyway. Try "Abbey Sings Abbey." Just one example. |
There are many that elicit that reaction for me, but it is usually for only a few years or a number of albums. For instance, Elton John from his "Elton John" debut album up to "Captain Fantastic". Linda Ronstadt "Heart Like a Wheel" until "Simple Dreams" Joni Mitchell "Ladies of the Canyon" until "Court and Spark" There are many more examples, but I guess what I am saying is that it is very difficult for any artist to maintain the level of artistic and emotional connection you speak of for an extended period. Probably the best example would be the Rolling Stones. They killed it up until 1972’s "Exile on Main Street", but haven’t done anything of note in the 50 years since. |
@roxy54 Yes, Standring is best fit in the smooth jazz genre, but with melodies and artistry. My brain can no longer handle the Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Yes, Allman Brothers days of my youth. I listen to 60’s and 70’s rock periodically for nostalgia’s sake (I was lucky enough to have been of an age to ride the wave of musical expression and genius of that era). I have fond memories of listening to a AM radio statio out of Hartford CT,in my early teen, who played Stairway to Heaven every night that ended exactly at midnight. |
Impossible. Even with my favorite artists, I never enjoy all their recordings. And no single artist is sufficiently multidimensional to satisfy me all the time. I'm much more recording-focused than artist-focused. For me, it would be much easier to list recordings by a broad spectrum of artists I come back to over and over than a single artist.
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I’ve had a few favorites over the years, but at this stage in my life Mark Knopfler has earned his way to the top of my playlist, along much respect for collaborating with multiple musicians on multiple styles of music. He’s a great song writer, great vocal story teller, and great musician. So much talent and versatility, and is seriously underrated as a guitar player IMHO. |
Songwriting, for me, is words/stories, then combine that with Artistry. So Jazz doesn’t fit for me even though Jazz is my main thing for many years. Bob Dylan, even if you don’t like his voice, or many times his crappy live performances, has to be the top of my list. Billy Joel, if you listen to him chronologically, has reflected America’s changes. I didn’t realize that until I saw a Broadway show with Twyla Tharp’s Dance Company with all Billy Joel’s music we saw the original version, 2002 https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL-HzNWxgD9K7r0yVUeU3SqAxvCqjesl1T evidently they have performed it many times over the years https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KIzuXQM1asw Sometimes I think I should write a song with my friend Joe Cerisano called "Goddammmmmnnn I Miss John Denver". Ani DiFranco will make you think Patti Griffin jumps to mind; John Hiatt; Etta James; ... taking more time to think my list would be very long |