I am so sad having read that John Abercrombie passed away... That got me thinking.
Many of us (I don't mean anyone in here, I mean in general) have a hard time accepting and liking modern players/bands for real.
I know the feeling, I can't listen to anything that has been composed after 1979 and feel as thrilled and excited as when I listen to classic Sabbath/Zep/Pink Floyd/Dead concerts. That's perfectly ok.
Some guys like my own drummer just can't understand a band like the Black Keys, because he only likes what he already knows. It's very hard to get him to learn any song you introduce him to (and he is a KICKASS drummer).
But I was wondering if that feeling leads us to a state of non acceptance of great musicians we have today, guys that pick up a classic guitar like a Les Paul or a Stratocaster and stand tall, they compose and play real blues, rock n roll, southern rock and jazz with spirit, regardless of all the autotune/playback laden bunch of crap that swarms the radio stations and teenager's mp3 players today.
Men like Joe Bonamassa, John Mayer (yes, listen to him live and the latest albums), Kenny Wayne... And so many others that are still around in their best days like Warren Haynes...
I myself am taking my time on iTunes and the web to actually learn about who's playing what and searching for new blood and new sounds... And whenever I can, I will attend their concerts and buy their records. I mean Jerry Garcia, John Lennon, and so many other heroes aren't still around anymore, but there are many others out there to be discovered and enjoyed.
I kinda refuse to let good music fade away.
Guess my next post will be in the "what are you listening to" thread
Just sharing my thoughts.