emotion in music
I had a rather odd experience today. I've been reviewing CD's for a magazine and I found myself listening to Lullatone's Little Songs About Raindrops back to back next to Trios by Tom Erbe, Chris Mann, Larry Polansky, Douglas Repetto, and Christian Wolff. I love the music of Christian Wolff but in this recording his piano playing was smothered by the academic nonsense of the other musicians. And by academic nonsense I think what I mean is a kind of insecurity in one's own instincts that forces the musician to rely on pedantic and empty gestures that communicate nothing, really. And the academic flutterings of the group on Trios sounded more empty than ever after listening to the sincere, childish, and beautifully open music of Lullatone.