Wanda Robinson - Me And A Friend

It's been a New York minute since I've been up in here as life tends to take the lead. Personally the break has been refreshing and has given time for reflection on my musical and social blogtivity.

Let's kick things off with the great jazz-poet Wanda Robinson's, 'Me And A Friend'. This was her 2nd album on Perception Records in '73, after the successful debut, 'Black Ivory'. A performance poet also known as Laini Mataka, she is highly sought after by diggers for the use of soul-funk instrumentals behind her poems. It's a heater which is dedicated to my good friend Ed.

So what have I learnt during my hiatus?

Blogs at times can bring the egotistical "me" monster out of the best of us, where the Blogger dashboard becomes the full moon to our digital wolf. Where the comments, or lack of, and download stats feed the self importance of our anti-social network spaces. The record I'm posting is relevant as it reflects how I feel about the unsocial paradox of posts, and what music actually means to me.

I've been lucky in my years to meet a great group of people who I can truly call friends, and not some unknowns who clicked the friend request button on Facebollocks. I'm talking about the type who you haven't seen in a few years, but can pick-up in seconds exactly where you left off and start afresh. My summer has been littered with these friendship renewals and truth be told it's made it harder to come back and post to, well, strangers. Looking at the download stats you'd think I'd never been away with several posts passing the 500 mark. But with no comments, or true credibility for posting, you wonder if there's actually any point in the effort, or who you're actually doing this for?

Thankfully this summer has reminded me that music is exactly the same as those friends you haven't seen in an age. No matter how long I go without listening to a track, digging in a store, or spinning some wax, it's just as fresh as the first time, with more to learn and appreciate. A true friend indeed.

These comments aren't meant to be disrespectful to anyone, be you regular visitor, or sneaky leech. More a reminder to myself and my ego that it's not about me and a blog, it's about me and a friend.

If y'all love good music, then count yourself my friend.

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