As now the venerable Ms. J. Baez and Mr. P. Simon (no relation) become the latest to march off into the proverbial rock and roll - or at least singer/songwriter - sunset, it serves as yet another harsh reminder that the end of an era is heading into the final stretch and rapidly running out of horses in the process....
So as noted before... almost all classical music concerts are basically really good cover bands going at it, but they don't dress up like the original composers/performers. Then you have rock tribute bands such as the endless stream of Beatle doppelbangers that attempt to sound - and look - like the original artists.
As someone so involved with music on a daily basis and virtually consumed with it since the age of 11, do I have the right to judge when someone takes their passion about this art form just a tad bit further than the average bear? Because I can think of several examples from my past when my concern about a...
So I went to see Chopin the other night. Only I'm pretty sure the fellow at the piano wasn't a 218-year-old Polish dead guy.
Do a blog! Do a blog! That's what they tell me. They implore me. I am a professional writer (in addition to being a musician and other stuff), so of course that's what I ought to be doing. But what should I write about? That's the question. And if the blog topic is about what blog topic to write...
07/19/2026
Well whaddaya know. Almost 8 years since the last "blog," or whatever they are called these days. And who knows if anyone read the others. Probably not, but if you are somehow reading this now... any and all self-deprecation is part of the charm. ln any case, it's intriguing to catch up after re-reading the previous ones and yeah, there are a few updates and proudly with zero help from AI ("whose" assistant icon lies waiting on the bottom right of the web page for my instructions--sorry, dude). One big piece of old news since last time, and I still can't believe it, is that David Crosby is dead. As is Ozzy. Both guys. No one ever expected this. Of course, Keith Richards remains. In fact, someone just recommended I read Keef's autobiography. I assume his written words are a tad more intelligible than what comes out of his mouth. Also thought that he always had it in mind to write a book, but had to wait patiently for books to be invented. On a related note, the Stones just released a new album that's getting some decent critical acclaim. Mick at 82 sounds pretty spry and dare I say sassy. Not so much for two Pauls: Mr. Simon (no relation, though I joke he's my nephew to get a stray laugh during a gig) and Sir McCartney. The former "retired" years ago, but turns out he couldn't stay away and went on a tour. Now in his mid-80s, his vocals are shaky whispers these days. As for the latter? Well, he can still bring it on the bass, the guitar and the piano (and most any other instrument he chooses to play). But the voice that I described as a "quiver" in 2018 has not managed to reverse Daddy Time's predictable and mean-spirited effects. An SNL performance of Band on the Run brought the legend much derision. But regardless, he's still out there working his ass off for three hours on stage, he has a pretty good new album and besides, what's the alternative? Well, maybe even more wig-wearing, Latino-led Beatle tribute bands to choose from that mimic the lads' youthful energy when the real deal is no longer available and hasn't been since... Oy. Yet a funny thing happened on the way to the forum. Errr... the dive bar: Even the tribute bands are getting old. Some of them don't even have any original members left themselves. I used to go see a Led Zep recreation in the late '90s and it appears the original singer's voice crapped out just like Robert Plant's did after hitting way too many high notes without proper vocal warm-up. In Plant's case, his voice started to go sometime in late 1971. The guy adapted nicely, though, and you can still catch him live and not mind at all that he can't manage (or even attempt) the banshee wail on Immigrant Song. Meanwhile, did you know that Little River Band is enjoying its 50th anniversary tour? And that not a single original member is left in the lineup? And none of the current musicians in the group are even Aussies? So much for reminiscing...