Art Impacts 1: Standing On The Corner- Red Burns

The first work of art that impacted me that I will be discussing is Red Burns by Standing On The Corner. This group I’ve found has inspired me on 4 landmark occasions . First was when I saw the Saint Heron live video on YouTube. I was already getting heavily into free improvised jazz and listening to it shifted my perspective to that you can experiment with jazz a notion first introduced to me when I first heard John Coltrane. The 2nd moment which is tied with the first as the most important is when I saw the group live at Matty Fest 2019 last year from when I’ve written this. It was a life changing event that I never wanted to stop. Getting there took time but to see the range of creativity it was beautiful. I had to leave Danny Brown’s show and missed out on meeting him but meeting the members of Standing On The Corner that showed up. Meeting Caleb, Syl,Buz,Jack and to shake Gio’s hand. I’m not a fanboy like I was then but meeting him especially was crazy. We never got to speak for that long but it was seriously a surreal moment. I talked longer with Caleb tho he is a very genuine individual. I hope he’s well he seems to be. Anyway the 3rd moment was listening to Red Burns for the first time and this is when everything started to shift. I started to go into so many sounds because of it. This album is a concept. A concept of black life in New York and other tales surrounding it. That’s what it is for me. What inspired me about it was how the sounds were manipulated together to form something almost indescribable and real to me. Arrays of live improvisations poems , sketches and psalms with samples from a wide variety of black art. The sound I cannot even relay onto you how it sounded. Especially on first listen. Most friends talk to me about listening to it in a different state but listening to it in a good present state is a very underrated experience. This way you hear it in the present reality and it still sounds very magical. Giovanni Cortez is the sort of lead composer for the group and his writing and singing has always been fascinating to me especially how he conveys his thoughts. A poem section on here with You Purified Me Caveman the poem was especially striking to me and entrapped a will in me to continue with experimental writing. This whole record runs like a series of tales. A film if you want where there are interludes, vocal sections , songs, stories and an overall concept that binds it together. The sound and overall texture of it was all just fascinating and enthralling to me when I first heard it. It was very early last year I was 14 years old. Changed everything. Many thanks to Standing On The Corner and I will continue to support and listen to all the art they put out. This work means the absolute world to me I won’t say any more as I said what I generall wanted to but the passion that came from it is unmatched.