I agree with Riddim and GAMG. When I started playing drums I was heavily into chops and fusion. I judged in a negative way recordings, live gigs and especially drummers on their non chop approach. When I first joined a wedding band I came to the conclusion (fast, haha) that nobody in this band nor their audience was looking for chops but for a solid groove. I had to change my approach. They gave me a bunch of records to check out, to get the feel of some styles. It changed my idea of music or better, I got back to "before drumming". After a while I was able to enjoy music itself again without listening to technique etc. I matured [img]wink.gif[/img] <s>Not really because my wife says she has three kids and I have only two as far as I know!</s>
I really like the example given of Prince and Sting, they sell out large stadiums and do their thing and "fusion" it with different styles. Not the elevator music kind of fusion like, forgive me, Special EFX etc. I am happy that I checked out all these recordings and that I am able to recognize all the styles, know (a little) about the basics and being able to play the basics. It is a start at least and from there it can evolve if I want or need to. But the chopfests are not grabbing my balls anymore constantly.
But removing these recordings from my (too small, too big according to my wife) CD wall, NO WAY! It is a part of who I am as a musician. It shaped me, and I still put the fusion / chops CD's in my CD player once in a while and enjoy it again. I even experience some of this music again after some years. Indeed, there's too much music to check out in one lifetime.
But IMHO I would never type POP as KING, it has more to do with MTV and the music industry. Jazz used to be the popular music with people dancing on it. Time changes, it's not always evolving. I think it is good that "jazz" musos bring out DVD's and get more in the picture. They deserve a wider range of people listening to them and the money of course. Why should we bring sand to the beach with all these "put-together-acts" by record companies?
To cut this very long (my first long) story short, you have this bag full of tricks, licks and knowlegde of the music, and your conclusion has made you a better drummer and musician, I am sure. And, if you need to, you are able to respond on the musical situation if it requires chops. I don't want to sound [img]graemlins/shhh.gif[/img] & [img]graemlins/smarty.gif[/img] but it gave me more work and more important more joy in listening to music.
