Amen Corner, Redux
I was just reading Ta-Nehisi Coates’ blog at The Atlantic (highly recommended) and someone far down the comments section of one particular post (further down than I’m comfortable admitting that I wade) compared blogs to “Amen Corner(s)”. An apt comparison for sure.
On the “South Side Soul” LP (posted below) The John Wright Trio ends with the two songs, “Sin Corner” and “Amen Corner”. The symbolism of the former is clear – any corner where the nightlife rages, simmers, cools out, or shadows some even more suspicious activity beyond the vale of darkness. A place where fights erupt out of common disagreements, where common disagreements erupt out of snap sessions, where comeraderie emerges from fights and the cycle starts anew every twilight.
The Amen Corner could be as simple socially as it is musically on the “South Side Soul” album… Sunday morning, go to any church corner and the believers will be arrayed in their best duds ready to enter and give praise, greeting one another and thanking God for another day or week. This corner is for positive reinforcement (although that sounds so clinical). It’s for “thank you”s, “preach on”s and “you’re right”s.
All of which is to say, I do NOT want this blog to be that. If I were to survey the wasteland of music blogs before me and try to be exactly what people seem to want, I would probably just upload every rare, pricey, hot/in-demand LP that came through my shop, providing scarce information and even less commentary. But that’s not what I’m about. I use this blog to highlight music that I love, music that might be less well-known, or might be an old classic that could use some revisiting. And I invite my readers – all 4.33 of them – to suggest, critique, and argue (as well as thank and praise). The homie Noz said “LESS ATU AND MORE COMPUTERMAN.” Not sure if I’ll take that direction, but I appreciate the feedback.
Sorry for the digression. I’m always a little too wordy in the morning. Next up, another insane mix from the homie Aaron Anderson… till then, lace your timbs tight and stay dry. This weather is grimy, word to StormTrakker.