Filling in the gaps between classical and pop

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Alex Ross, music critic for the New Yorker, is getting a lot of press recently for his new book "The Rest Is Noise". Part of this is due to a tour he is making to publicise his book, most recently in Chicago at Northwestern University. Bob Gendron highlights some of what Alex presents in his book about the blurring between pop and classical music in his article for the Chicago Tribune. Perhaps the most interesting is his last paragraph, "Cutting-edge music clubs. Venues such as Chicago's Empty Bottle, at which programming varies widely from night to night, show how free jazz, noise rock and new music have similar identities and indistinguishable borders. The musicians' training may differ but they speak the same language. Listeners are unable to detect a geographical divide."

A quick search of the types of bands that frequent the Empty Bottle and the mix covers everything from experimental jazz to rock bands, as well as some of the best D.J.’s in Chicago. Who's borrowing from whom? Does it matter? The audiences are enjoying it (as places like the Empty Bottle have been around for years and still going strong) and the artists are being allowed to explore new sounds. My only concern is trying to keep up...

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