When those three words come before a talented musicians’ name, you may be involved in a heated discussion upon your answer. Yes, most people have personal preferences when it comes down to music. I love the era in which we live that affords us such a wide array of choices. I’m no different than anyone else when it comes to musical preferences. It’s true that I grew up with a father who was a professional jazz musician and got to hear and talk to many very good musicians. I even had my time working with very talented musicians in the studio. Still there are some musicians I want to hear more than others. The difference between me and others you may have this discussion with is this: I may not particularly like listening to a musician but I will still tell you they are extremely talented. The word that should be used in cases like this is respect. This gives me the opportunity to discuss an extremely talented and popular musician: Alicia Keys.
Some may wonder why I chose Alicia Keys alone as my subject of musical preference. One reason, I needed a big talent to help prove my point. She is an accomplished musician with many awards and fans around the world who agree. But personally, I don’t like her music as much as other artist today. In fact, I don’t have a single album of hers. Many persons now usually ask me why I feel this way. There really is no simple answer. She is the type of artist I normally really like. She’s in the same class as Roberta Flack, Valerie Simpson, Angela Winbush and Patrice Rushin. I love the well-rounded female vocalist who also writes and produces music. I respect Alicia Keys immense talent, but I just don’t care for her songs. Although, since she recorded her third album there have been a few songs that I did like. So all you Alicia Keys fans cheer up, she’s young and has a lot of music left in her tank. Maybe one day I’ll add her music to my library.