Being finals week, my mind is completely fried when it comes to innovative blogging topics; however, I’ll put my best foot forward and you can decide the caliber of my work for yourself.

As an avid follower of many different musical styles, it has struck me that some of my favorite musical styles are slowly dying out. The classic blues, jazz standards, and swing music once found in such greats as Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, and Billie Holiday now are being replaced by artists like Ke$ha, Katy Perry and Bruno Mars.

My biggest wish would be to go back to the days when the Rat Pack was around, when a lucky audience could feel with the singer because of their performance. When I get the chance, I listen to old vinyls of these artists, but it isn’t the same, let alone the recordings you find on Cd’s.

The closest I find myself to the good ‘ole days in the present is through the trailblazing R&B soul revitalized by the late Amy Winehouse, the incomparable blues and soul of the awe-inspiring Adele, and the big-band jazz that lives on in the equally unique Michael Bublé.

As much as I hate it, I love that Adele is finally getting the recognition and fame that she has deserved for the better part of more than four years, and with her fame, I think a wave of her musical style will inevitably influence some to change their preference when it comes to popular music.

Going hand-in-hand with Adele was the late great Amy Winehouse. For all her talent, the crap she has gotten from the fallout of her untimely death all came without just cause. She ultimately repaved the way for female soul vocalists in the 21st century after they died out in the 1960’s. What fault can you find in that?

The name of the game these days is to move on, constantly rotating from one flower to the next — metaphorically speaking of course. But I encourage you, if you haven’t already, to sit down with some Dean Martin or Lady Day and think on your life and what could have been if you were to have grown up in their time. It’s my favorite past time.

Questions, comments, and concerns should, as always, be directed to my email, [email protected]. Try to keep them simple, as my mind is stretched more thin than ever. Happy holidays everybody.