Back to Roots

John Mellencamp has a new roots music album. Just heard him on Letterman. The band was simply guitar, stand-up bass, and drums. Sounds good.

Speaking of Roots Music

Well, sort of. Just thought I would comment on a wedding I went to the other week. Young couple with an eclectic blend of music tastes. Their "recessional"- When I'm Sixty-Four - the original- by the Beatles. They saw it as a real statement- promise- that they were in this for the long haul.

Now all the wedding purists (and I am not one of those) will say- "Yes, but what about the Wedding March or other such traditional songs. After all it was a church service." Again, the amazing problem of culture. The "traditional" music for weddings is only "traditional" in a cultural setting. There is nothing universal about any of it. Why should we use an operatic song that precedes a bedroom scene or a suicide or murder because someone, somewhere decided that it "sounds" like it should be used? I was impressed by the way the couple wanted to make a statement about their marriage- in their own musical language. It is part of their culture. They were promising to be with each other for the next 40 years. Whether it works or not, well, that is hard to say. But they thought about it and made their statement. And it was fun, too!