DIZ

I've noticed a trend. In music. For me and my generation.

When we were teens, we were fortunate to have the British invasion genesised by The Beatles. We loved to play our music loudly. The Stones, The Monkees, CC Revival, The Doors, Vanilla Fudge (at least my roommate and I loved to play "You Keep Me Hanging On" very loud.)

Then came The Golden Oldies. FM radio stations popped up and oldies ruled. Even the next generation was weaned on them. At least they knew them, whether they enjoyed them or not. Unfortunately, their generation didn't offer a lot of lasting music. Unless you count ABBA and Mamma Mia. Or "YMCA."

Then came Smooth Jazz. It's the Kyote in Scottsdale, 98.1 in San Diego, and 101.5, I believe, in St. Louis. None of them may play Dizzy G. but Kenny G. is big, along with a bevy of new artists, even John Legend and some reggae. Soft, of course, for us oldies who have tired of the oldies and even the British influence of the 1960's.

Some of us have gone to Christian radio stations spawned by Sandy Patty and Amy Grant, but fully blown up now from musicians and groups too numerous to mention. But recognizable names such as Stephen Curtis Chapman and Jason Russ. OK, maybe you haven't heard of the latter, our Minister of Music but he has some CD's and he's good, too.

So that's my epiphany of the day. "Like sands through the hour glass.." oh, wait; that's been taken by a soap opera. As we grow older, we leave behind some of our earlier loves and gravitate to smooth jazz and Christian music. And, it's all good, with an occasional dose of oldies--played loudly, of course. Our hearing's not what it used to be either.