When I was much. much younger, a teenager, I was deeply into music, both listening and performing. Before reality set in I thought I was going to pursue a career in music...perhaps as a teacher or vocal coach. But when I learned I couldn't make much money doing that, I left that behind me to go in another direction.
But I never lost my strong connection to music, not just enjoying the music/songs I liked, but also having an appreciation for who I considered to be great musicians, especially vocalists. I have always enjoyed listening for the nuances & subtle things I knew were behind these performers & performances. So when I hear one that I know is truly exceptional...even if I may not be a fan of their music, it sticks out to me.
This is cross genre for me. For instance, I'm a huge fan of Ray Price. I do love several of his songs, but I also really get into what I notice about his voice and technique. Within country I could add Eddy Arnold and a couple of others. Of course, Patsy Kline is a slam-dunk for anyone.
And then there is the acoustic guitar-playing of Red Shea, particularly on the Gordon Lightfoot hit, "Sundown". The more subtle parts of what he does backing Lightfoot go beyond what sounds good. There is tremendous skill that contributes a ton to the success of that song. He has a way of perfectly playing what's needed to "connect" the lines sung by Lightfoot. If you didn't already know this, take a listen to Sundown, but this time focus on the acoustic guitar playing rhythm.
Ella Fitzgerald for jazz. Another jazz performer that blows me away is Diana Krall.
Anyway, during those teens years on the rock side besides Heart I got into Boston & ELO. Both of those bands had some serious genius going on. Liked a ton more, but those are the ones that stood out to me beyond just liking the songs and how they sounded.
