I Love Music

I love music, just about any kind of music as long as it's good. It makes my heart happy. It sometimes moves me to tears. It brings back memories of good times and bad.  As a kid I listened to my mother's albums, wearing out the groves on Nancy Wilson, Temptations, Aretha, Dells, Delfonics, Four Tops, Jerry Butler, Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, Otis Redding, Martha and the Vandellas, Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, and Little Anthony and the Imperials.

I listened to my Grandmother's Mahalia Jackson albums on her stereo system, you know those big furniture stereos. Mahalia is on my iPod today. I was in high school where a field trip to the Opera House exposed me to classical music. Each piece has a big finish. I like that.

As a teenager I drove my brother crazy playing over and over, trying to learn the words to the 5th Dimension, Main Ingredient, Isley Brothers, Supremes, and Friends of Distinction. Now the lyrics are online along with the song on YouTube. I like that, too.

As various boyfriends came and went, I listened to what they listened to. Elton John, War, Average White Band, the Rippingtons, Jean Luc-Ponty, Commodores, John Coltrane, Sly and the Family Stone, and The Whispers.

In college I discovered for myself, Joe Sample, Ohio Players, Pheobe Snow, Norman Connors (my guitar player phase), Angie Bofill, Perri, Carol King (who sang me through a terrible breakup), and Chaka Kahn. College was in small town where there weren't many radio listening choices during the 70s. I worked at a liquor store and listened to Pop, Rock and country music for 8 hours a day. I still remember the lyrics to those songs. We all know country music has the best lyrics. Songs that tell a story.

As an adult I read Miles Davis' book and tried unsuccessfully to listen to everything he did and connect the songs to the book's stories.  Phil Perry, Angela Winbush (I'm listening to her "Your Smile" as I write), Peobo Bryson, of course Prince, (the hubby tried to say something about Prince's sexuality the other day, I told him I wasn't trying to hear it. The gayest looking straight man he'd ever seen, he says. What does he know?). Rachelle Farrell, her duo with another fav Will Downing "Nothing Has Ever Felt Like This", I can listen to a million times and it never gets old. Janet Jackson, (I know, I know, but I like her anyway), Gary Taylor, Tevin Campbell, and The Winans.

I'm not so excited about Rap, but even some of that I like; Common, Missy Elliot, 50 Cent, my homie Nelly. There is Jazz (so smooth), Electronica (so much sameness), Disco, Blues, Alternative, World and African. I try to listen to it all.

These days I like Adele, Amy Winehouse, D'Angelo, Raheim, Eric Benet, Jill Scott, Alicia Keys, John Legend, Joss Stone, Ledisi, Marsha Ambrosius, Miguel, and Mary J. Blige (after her singing lessons). I keep listening to new artists. There is always someone new on the horizon and I want to hear them.