I have to admit, it's a bit tougher to find musicians from down South who play progressive rock. And, mind you, I said it was tougher, not impossible.
Do a Google search on "southern progressive rock" and you might come up with a few relatively unknown bands.
But then there was The Mars Volta from El Paso, Texas. The sad word here being "was."But that's the sad thing about music. Bands come and bands go, even the good ones.
The Mars Volta wasn't just good. It was tail-kickin'. Coming from Texas, the land of cowboy boots, that's not surprising.
Just don't expect much in the way of "good ol' boy" flavoring from these guys.
Southern boys can do jazz fusion. Man, can they ever do jazz fusion.
A breathtaking fusion outfit originated out of Augusta, Georgia, back in the early 1970s, starting with a guitar player named Steve Morse and a guy on bass named Andy West. At first, they were in a band called Dixie Grit. From there, they became a duo known as The Dixie Dregs.
The band continued to evolve. Allen Sloan jumped in on violin. At the band's peak, it also featured T Lavitz on keys and Rod Morgenstein on drums. Later, after Sloan left to pursue a career as a doctor, Nashville session cat Mark O'Connor took over on violin, followed at times by Mahavishnu Orchestra veteran Jerry Goodman.
They were a blend of jazz, Southern rock, classical, and some mighty fine hoedown sounds. These guys could do it all. Morse became known as one of the best guitar players alive today, settling in to the all-important guitarist's spot with rock legends Deep Purple and reigniting a flame in them.
I was raised on country music. I was raised on it enough that I could work in my late teens as a country DJ at a popular AM radio station, in a prime weekday afternoon drive time slot, and I knew what I was talking about. I think I appreciate the songs I grew up with and used to play back then a lot more these days.
I appreciate the sounds of a steel guitar and some good fiddle playing and some fine guitar pickin'. I don't go so much for the "cheatin' songs," although they tell true-life stories that many people can relate to, which is part of their appeal.
That hat you see me wearing off to the right side of this blog page in my profile ... well, that's not just for show. That's a part of my attitude as well. When my mood's right, I'll pull out one of my hats -- felt or straw -- that I asked to be styled as much as possible like ones that Charlie Daniels would wear himself, and I'll place it on my head with pride.
Deep down, I'm a long-haired country boy, one who loves country music for its genuine, down-to-earth qualities. I also love hearing it when I'm in a more rowdy mood and I feel like having a good time.
I love those country songs that are about the South, or make you think about the South one way or another. They're songs with that Southern attitude, that Southern flair.
I do dig that Southern style when it comes to music. It goes well beyond country, into rock and blues and progressive rock and even jazz fusion.
Like a fine pair of boots, it's got some real kick to it. It can get my toes to tappin'.
It wasn't that long ago that I happened to tune the radio to a station just in time to hear some Lynyrd Skynyrd in a three-song block. There's a band that has the South dripping from its veins. They've gone through fame, hard living, tragedy, and a comeback. They've had two Van Zants -- Ronnie and his little brother Johnny -- as lead singers. They've had the layered, dueling guitar sound that's a staple of Southern rock.
They've had some hits. Oh, yeah, they've definitely had some hits. It's classic rock, timeless music that will live on for years, even after one of the more tragic incidents in rock music history.
My oldest son gave me a great Christmas gift a few Christmases ago. He gave me a CD that was a personal introduction to The Black Keys, "Brothers."
I've been a fan since the first listen.
It's good to know that The Black Keys are being recognized by a broader audience these days as well, including at this year's Grammy Awards.
The duo took Grammy honors last weekend for "Lonely Boy" as top rock song, "El Camino" as top rock album, and "Lonely Boy" again for top rock performance.
That's a nice haul for a couple of guys who play some of the crunchiest music to come down the musical road in a while. I couldn't be happier for them.
I go for a good pop song as much as anyone, as long as it's got some originality, creativity, and artistry to it. Cookie-cutter music doesn't quite cut it for me.
The same goes for R&B, soul, dance, all the rest.
I can be tough to please when it comes to music.
But I'd be raked over the coals if I went through this week in which I give some attention to the 2013 Grammy Award winners without paying some attention to those genres as well. I'm still picky.
You'll just have to bear with me while I check out ...
Pop solo performance: "Set Fire to the Rain (Live)," Adele.
Pop vocal album: "Stronger," Kelly Clarkson.
R&B performance: "Climax," Usher.
Traditional R&B performance: "Love on Top," Beyonce.
R&B song: "Adorn," Miguel Pimentel.
R&B album: "Black Radio," Robert Glasper Experiment.
Dance recording: "Bangarang," Skrillex featuring Sirah.
Dance/electronica album: "Bangarang," Skrillex.
Latin pop album: "MTV Unplugged Deluxe Edition," Juanes.
Latin rock, urban or alternative album: "Imaginares," Quetzal.
Reggae album: "Rebirth," Jimmy Cliff.
Traditional pop vocal album: "Kisses on the Bottom," Paul McCartney.
I don't always agree with the winners who come out of the Grammy Awards. Isn't that pretty much the way it is for a lot of people when it comes to music? It's such a subjective thing -- dealing with perspective, feelings, beliefs, desires -- that disagreements between different listeners is a way of life.
There is one area when it comes to the Grammys where I don't usually have much quarrel, and that's in the jazz category. There were some great artists taking home trophies this year.
For best jazz vocal album, it was "Radio Music Society" from Esperanza Spalding. Best jazz instrumental album went to "Unity Band," from the Pat Metheny Unity Band. For large jazz ensemble album, the winner was "Dear Diz (Every Day I Think of You)," by Arturo Sandoval. I'll throw in the winner for instrumental composition: "Mozart Goes Dancing," from jazz keyboard great Chick Corea.
