[MusicTlk] Instrumental and solo music

[Mike Jolls]

Hi everyone … I have a philosophical question I’d like to ask.

I’m working on building a music library.  Right now, I’m looking for instrumental only music to put in my collection, specifically played by Chet Atkins.  As I listen to his body of work, the question occurred to me  … “what ever happened to the instrumental and solo album genre?”.

Back when I was a kid (I’m showing my age here) instrumental albums were everywhere.  Chet Atkins, Herb Alpert, The Ventures, and others.  There were a LOT of good instrumental and solo albums.  Some just played guitars.  Some were solo artists.  Some had orchestras in them (Moody Blues for example).  Then it seems that in the 70’s, that genre started to die.  By the 80’s as I recall (except for movie soundtrack albums such as Star Wars or Superman, for example) they were pretty much gone.  Maybe even the movie soundtrack album no longer exists.

I’m a musician, a guitar player, and an aspiring pianist, so instrumental music and playing solo is near and dear to my heart.  I grew up with this playing style.  I don’t hear it these days (except in recordings).  At least I haven’t heard it on the rare occasions I’ve listened to pop music (when I wanted to hear what my children were listening to).  I just wonder, what happened?  Where did the torch not get passed?  I do understand that music styles change, just as big band couldn’t last forever, or 50’s rock, or even 60’s rock.

Still, it seems that a wonderful artistic style has died, and has been dead for quite a while.  Too bad.  The modern generation is missing out, but I suppose “old fogies” have been saying that for years.

Anybody have any comments?

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