Striking that so much more recognition is being given genres that would have been dismissed as lower class (musically speaking) 20 years ago: jazz, early music of the more exotic origins (Spanish, Arabic, etc.), klezmer.
I think people who like to listen are craving a return to pitch involvement. Tone. Pure and simple, it resonates with us. Why avoid it?
Because, if you are going to get seriously involved with it, tone requires attention and attentiveness. Our training prepares us to produce tone, not to notice it.
Now here come these musicians who make tone come alive with their odd instrumentation (ouds, etc.) and their spectacular singing. We are all wide awake to that.
