Music To My Ears

Quick: What's your all time favorite song?  Your favorite band? Best concert you ever attended? Best album/cd you own? 


Music means so much to us as we go through life often tied to our fondest memories and to those years when we're developing our own "voice".  Some of my earliest memories are tied to music - my Dad was a drummer for a successful rock n roll band in the late 50's and early 60's. His red sparkle Pearl drum kit and clubs like the Swamp Room are distant but fond memories.  Unfortunately, son did not inherit Dad's musical abilities no matter how hard I tried; couldn't even learn the most basic drum skills.  Later I turned my affections to the bass, "playing" in a garage band in high school with childhood friends.  Fortunately for them, after dumping me, Michael Ciravolo and Charles Bouis later formed The Models then Human Drama and both are still active in the music industry.

As a teenager of the 70's I grew up with what is now called "classic rock."  Funny how I can't remember yesterday's lunch, but give me three or four notes from a song 35 years old and I can give you the band, the album and the lead singer without batting an eye.  Great memories of concerts in City Park Stadium and the Municipal Auditorium, the Day of  Rock in the Dome, CYO dances with Zebra, WRNO and albums.  Thanks again to Kyle and Eden for getting me my top 5 all time as a Christmas gift!

My musical tastes these days can best be described as eclectic.  On any given day, you might find me listening to classic rock, gospel, country, smooth jazz, contemporary Christian or a mix of those and more.  What brought this topic up was my self assigned project of posting daily videos of artists Performing at this year's Jazz Fest.  There is no better week of live music anywhere than you'll find in New Orleans the last week of April/first week of May.  I am so looking forward to this year with a great group of friends from my college days!  In the past few years we've seen great local talents like Jeremy Davenport, Ingrid Lucia, Papa Grows Funk and Bonerama, legends like Allan Toussaint, Simon & Garfunkel and Earth, Wind and Fire who were at their funky best.  Watching season one of HBO's Treme has gotten the juices flowing, I'm ready for some Fest! So do yourself and your local musicians a favor and get out to see some live music!


Answers: Shooting Star, KISS, Muddy Waters and Eric Clapton together, Led Zepplin IV