One of the more insignificant contributions of the 1990s is the tiresome list of group-think music critics who seek reassurance in deriding Yanni.
While Yanni, Tesh and others like them are not “world-class” artists, neither they nor their music make claims to be so. Greg Kot recognized this, and as a result, wrote an accurate and fair review of Yanni and his music (“7 million Yanni fans can’t be wrong! Can they?” Feb. 15).
Kot’s less-talented colleagues would do well with such objectivity. It is no coincidence that those music critics who regularly trash Yanni are the same ones who applaud each mind-numbing release from “popular stars” like Elton John or Billy Joel, a group of musicians whose only talent is their mastery of a Casio keyboard and some obscure sorcery that empowers them to transform oatmeal into Top 10 hits.
———-
Send letters to Arts & Entertainment, Chicago Tribune, 435 N. Michigan Ave., Chicago 60611. Or e-mail to tbannon@tribune.com. Please include your name, address and phone number.
