Classical, Rock, Jazz etc. are your tastes evolving with time?

When I lived in Phila, attended the Phila Orchestra several times each month, and was exposed to a vibrant classical chamber and early music scene, I mostly listened to classical music. In DC when I now live, the classical music scene is lackluster (IMHO) while the jazz scene is vibrant. This explains the shift in my listening preferences. On the other hand, I have been a Paul Simon fan for decades and have attended all of his concerts; I listen to his music past and present. Same for Leonard Cohen. Clearly my exposure to live music influences what I play at home. I gravitate to the best of what I can hear live. 

Oddly, I've been attending live concerts and such much more regularly since I retired from my lifelong home town of L.A. to tiny Hilo HI.  Sure, when I was in L.A. I saw top flight artists such as the Vienna Phil, the Berlin Phil and Vladimir Horowitz. I saw Miles Davis, the Doors, the Byrds, Springsteen and CSN...with guest artist Neil Young(!)  Joni Mitchell was the opening act.  I had season tickets for the L.A. Chamber Orchestra at the Ambassador Auditorium.  I saw Joe Pass at a small club.  I was a regular at the Troubadour and the Whisky.  I saw Bob Marley and the Wailers at the Roxy.  I took my fiddle to various jam sessions at bars & such practically every week. 

Nevertheless, this little town has a vibrant live scene.  I've seen a couple of musicals.  I've seen classical chamber music. Quality has been surprisingly high.   Here, I'd thought my live music days were over.  Uh-uh.  Now, I just got to find some jam mates...

@OP>


define ‘evolving’.


meandering? roaming? migrating? simply being bored and investigating another genre? Certainly. guilty of all these scenarios where music is concerned with one exception…

I’m simply unable to abide what ever the genre is being termed lately where the ‘artist’ merely talks, yells, mutters, and refuses to actully sing. or when the supposed chorus simply claps hands to the beat.

moreover, if the lyrics are objectifying or cruel and deroggetory, like ‘face don .
ass up … let’s kill a cop nonsense it doesn’t play on my equipment.   or won’t ever play on it a second time, if a friend has voiced his or her desire to play it, for instance.

Americana as its being termed of late has my attention. that and bluegrass, and yeah, folk.

big band jazz and blues still grabs me. as does anything which has passion, artistry and intelligence to the arrangement and or lyrics.

I will likely always default to some hard rock or blues pretty regularly, but many genres doors have been opened by sheer curiosity or boredom thru the decades. the sole issue with music genres lays with the rcording. some recordings just lay flat on playback and as such don’t grab me or pull me in. this is especially evident when diving into a new genre. if it sounds flat or drab fidelity wise, or typical, I’ll usually just click onto something else.

Evolved? maybe I’ve ‘evolved’ into more of a fidelity snob.

the only ‘fix’ I’ve found for ‘lesser’ quality cuts has been to play them on lower fi gear. ala, desktop, iphone & blu tooth HPs.