The Top Kansas City Albums and EPs of 2025 (so far)

The 25 Best Kansas City Albums of 2025 (so far)

1. Carl Allen- Tippin'
Plastic Sax review.

2. Stik Figa- A Small Fortune
The riches of maturity.

3. Hermon Mehari and Tony Tixier- Soul Song
Plastic Sax review.

4. Sandbox Percussion- Cerrone: Don’t Look Down
Elevated.

5. Samantha Fish- Paper Doll
Tougher than nails.

6. Idle Heirs- Life is Violence
Brutal beat downs.

7. Vinny Golia, Dan Clucas, Kevin Cheli and Seth Andrew Davis- Orchid
Plastic Sax review.

8. Kansas City Chorale- The Mirage Calls
Oasis.

9. TheBabeGabe- Honeypop
Toothsome.

10. The Freedom Affair- The Freedom Affair
Righteous.

11. Jake Wesley Rogers- In the Key of Love
Maximalist pop.

12. Nathan Granner- Gordon Getty: Goodbye, Mr. Chips
An opera based on James Hilton’s novel.

13. Jackie Myers- What About the Butterfly
Plastic Sax review.

14. Rich the Factor- 2K10th Street
Fresh takes.

15. Bob James and Dave Koz- Just Us
Plastic Sax review.

16. All Night Trio- Yeah Sun
Plastic Sax review.

17. Henry Scamurra- Urban Forum
Plastic Sax review.

18. Adam Larson- Push to Exit
Locked in.

19. Wire Town- Riffin’ on Grand
Plastic Sax review.

20. Eddie Moore- What Makes Us
Made men.

21. Xion Sound Waves- In This Celestial Life
New Age gospel.

22. Hot Club KC- Dream Dancing
Plastic Sax review.

23. Season to Risk- 1-800-MELTDOWN
Psychotic reactions.

24. Michael McClintock- Here and There
Plastic Sax review.

25. Brody Buster- Redemption
Confessions.

The Ten Best Kansas City EPs of 2025 (so far)

1. RMW and Maadcxmmander- Pretty Boy Swag
Crank that.

2. Greg LaFollette- Liturgical Songs, Volume One
Holy, holy, holy.

3. Rich the Factor- Snow Money
Grab a shovel.

4. Flora From Kansas- Homesick
Teen spirit.

5. Claire Adams- Passenger Seat
A trip to Laurel Canyon.

6. The Almighty Trouble Brothers- A History of Poor Decisions
Flirtin’ with disaster.

7. Reality’s Demise- Demo
Corrosive thrash.

8. Rich the Factor- Make America Grit Again
Poll numbers.

9. Jass- April Showers
Refreshing.

10. Jean & The Eclairs- the a.m. EP
Good morning.

The year-end tabulation for 2024 is here.

Album Review: Sviatoslav Richter- The Lost Tapes: Beethoven: Sonatas Nos. 18, 27, 28 & 31

The nice folks from Supplemental Sound may have thought I was kidding when I told them last month that solo piano has become my music of choice. Subjected to an iffy neo-soul performance on a nearby stage at a disappointing festival, I meant what I was saying at that moment.

Taking in more than a dozen transcendent recitals by elite pianists in recent years expanded my ears. No less importantly, reading Bruno Monsaingeon’s Sviatoslav Richter: Notebooks and Conversations in 2023 personalized the music for me. (The book is a companion to a far less interesting documentary.)

Deutsche Grammophon added seventy-two minutes to the late Russian pianist’s unfathomably massive discography last month.The Lost Tapes: Beethoven: Sonatas Nos. 18, 27, 28 & 31 consists of previously unreleased recordings from two 1965 concerts in Europe.

These performances aren’t referenced in Notebooks and Conversations, but the notoriously prickly Richter might have made self-lacerating comments about his efforts. What did he know? Richter’s bold translations of Beethoven are precisely what I need to hear right now.

May 2025 Recap: A Monthly Exercise in Critical Transparency

Screenshot of the trailer for Festspielhaus Baden-Baden’s production of Richard Strauss’ Elektra by There Stands the Glass.

The Top Ten Albums of May 2025

1. Billy Woods- Golliwog
Darkness.

2. Cosmic Ear- Traces
My review.

3. Barbara Hannigan- Electric Fields
Splendor.

4. Grupo Firme- Evolución
Tijuana’s finest.

5. Arve Henriksen- Arcanum
Tomorrow is (still) the question.

6. Marshall Allen's Ghost Horizons- Live in Philadelphia
Traveling turbulent spaceways.

7. Milena Casado- Reflection of Another Self
My review.

8. Morgan Wallen- I’m the Problem
Same.

9. Mike and Tony Selzer- Pinball II
Slurry.

10. James Brandon Lewis- Abstraction is Deliverance
Clearly defined.

The Top Three Reissues, Reimaginings and Broadsides of May 2025

1. Irène Schweizer- Irène’s Hot Four
At Internationales Jazzfestival Zürich in 1981.

2. Pink Floyd- Live at Pompeii MCMLXXII
Steven Wilson’s remix of the 1971 concert.

3. Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band- Land of Hope & Dreams
Chimes of freedom flashing.

The Top Ten Songs of May 2025

1. Badbadnotgood and V.C.R- “Found a Light (Beale Street)”
Illuminated.

2. Brandee Younger- “Gadabout Season”
Flittering.

3. Kali Uchis- “Sugar! Honey! Love!”
Sweet.

4. Lizzie Berchie- "Happiness"
It’s possible.

5. Karol G- “Milagros”
Yet another minor miracle.

6. HiTech featuring Lovesexy- “Empty Bus Stop”
Decadence.

7. Bruiser Wolf- “Air Fryer”
High comedy.

8. Stereolab- “Vermona F Transistor”
Spare parts.

9. Evan Bartels- "Montana"
My review.

10. Hardy- “Girl with a Gun”
Hands up.

The Top Ten Performances of May 2025

1. Jean-Efflam Bavouzet at the Folly Theater
My Instagram snapshot.

2. Speed, Whispers, Spine and Stakes Is High at the Ship
My Instagram clips here and here.

3. Maria Ioudenitch and Navo Chamber Orchestra at Southminster Presbyterian Church
My Instagram snapshot.

4. Bachathon at Village Presbyterian Church
My Instagram clip.

5. Rod Fleeman, Gerald Spaits and Ray DeMarchi at Green Lady Lounge
My Instagram clip.

6. Stephanie Larsen, Maria Crosby, Duncan Steele and Sunho Kim at St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church
My Instagram snapshot.

7. Vine Street Rumble at Shawnee Town 1929 Museum
My Instagram snapshot.

8. The Kansas City Symphony’s Mobile Music Box at Meadowbrook Park
My Instagram clip.

9. Aztlan at Guadalupe Center
My Instagram clip.

10. Ken Stringfellow at Knuckleheads
My Instagram snapshot.

The previous monthly recap is here.

Album Review: Cosmic Ear- Traces

A chaotic mess, Live in Philadelphia is precisely the album I wanted from 101-year-old Marshall Allen. Traveling the spaceways with a large cast of avant-jazz luminaries for 82 turbulent minutes, Allen seems much more himself than on his straightlaced February release New Dawn.

At 83, Christer Bothén is a comparative spring chicken. The multi-instrumentalist demonstrates he’s also worthy of late-career recognition on the impeccable new album Traces. Along with Cosmic Ear cohorts including the free jazz standout Mats Gustafsson, Bothén achieves an elevated form of spirituality.

Whereas Allen honors Sun Ra, Cosmic Ear’s north star is Bothén’s former collaborator Don Cherry. Traces contains things I treasure most in improvised instrumental music: intercontinental grooves, bursts of skronk and electronic shivers in a quest for divine communion.

EP Review: Evan Bartels- To Make You Cry

What was supposed to be a quick outing at a matinee show at a famous Kansas City honky tonk descended into prolonged dissipation with a companion earlier this week. The evening began to turn sideways during an argument about the merits of country music. I recall my spirited defense of the gospel albums of Johnny Cash and the Nickelback-meets-Chesney ditties of Morgan Wallen. My pal insisted on acquiring additional fortification to fuel further debates about music and politics at a different establishment. I’m wondering if sending a link to Evan Bartels’ new EP To Make You Cry as a peace offering might be misconstrued as a mean-spirited provocation. "Lula" and "Montana" are among the unspeakably sad Nebraska-inspired ballads capable of ruining an evening. My country-averse friend probably doesn’t share my predilection for pain songs.

Album Review: Milena Casado- Reflection of Another Self

Brace yourself for a brief burst of hyperbole. Reflection of Another Self sounds for all the world like an all-time-great debut album. Milena Casado, a Spanish-born and Berklee-trained trumpeter and bandleader, flouts moribund conventions on the bold 43-minute statement issued by a jazz record label. Plugged-in and pop-adjacent, the album features notables such as Terri Lyne Carrington, Kris Davis, Morgan Guerin, Nicole Mitchell, Meshell Ndegeocello and Brandee Younger. Yet Casado doesn’t seem to be following fashion or hiding behind established stars. An appealing individualism surfaces throughout a project that delivers more than mere promise.

Negative Mirrors

The circumstances of two conversations I had this week exposed an unattractive aspect of my character. In both instances, I stood outside a flashy luxury car as the driver remained seated behind the wheel. Display screens on the dashboards revealed that one person was tuned to a terrestrial pop radio station. The other monitored a talk radio show.

I couldn’t help but judge them. The four-figure resale value of my car may be just a tenth of the cost of my acquaintances’ vehicles but its Bluetooth capacity means I’m always listening to precisely what I intend to hear. Why wasn’t one associate streaming the Miranda Lambert songs I know she loves? The other should have been grooving to hits by the Commodores in his pricey ride.

The dissonance I experienced during these interactions reminds me that not everyone shares my passion for music. I’m often similarly disappointed when sharing music with friends who possess limited palates. A punk-leaning pal was recently mystified when I sent him a link to a favorite soul-jazz song. Conversely, most friends in the jazz community are dumbstruck by my punk inclinations.

I could share my enthusiasm for Håkon Berre’s new album Mirror Matter by texting my contacts in the improvised music community. They’d be receptive to the dazzling solo percussion recording by the Norway-based musician released this week by the Barefoot Records collective. Instead, I’m recommending it here.

Much like Devin Gray, Berre is capable of sustaining attention while manipulating a “vast diversity of trash and objects… materials such as metal, plastic, cardboard, paper, wood and expanded polystyrene.” I’m looking forward to playing Mirror Matter in my car this weekend. Maybe I’ll even find someone with whom to talk.

Money Jungle

Original image by There Stands the Glass.

Friends have asked why they didn’t see me at recent concerts by iconic artists including Nick Cave, Bob Dylan, Maxwell and Paul Simon. I’m obliged to tell them that global economic instability and sudden non-recurring individual expenses mean I’m not willing to invest in expensive tickets this spring. My low budget doesn’t mean I’m stuck at home. I took in 17 performances in April, the priciest of which put me back a wince-worthy $33.50. Seeking out community events and scouring the calendars of churches with big arts budgets, university conservatories and coffee shops has paid off. See you in church!

"I Hate Jazz"

Original image by There Stands the Glass.

A nurse asked an anesthetist about her trip to New Orleans as I lay in a hospital bed with a tube in my nose and an IV in my arm last week.

“How was Jazz Fest?”
“We had so much fun!”
“Did you listen to a lot of jazz?”
“No. I hate jazz!”
“I hate jazz too!”

My heart broke as the coworkers bonded over their mutual loathing of music I love. Knowing we were within shouting distance of the site of Charlie Parker’s elementary school made me wish I was slated to receive morphine rather than propofol during my minor medical procedure.

I chatted with the otherwise charming anesthetist about the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival upon awakening. Her favorite band was billed in the topline of this year’s event. Allowing myself to be upset about the commonplace dismissal of an entire genre would be hypocritical.

Until recently, I’d been indifferent to The Modern Jazz Quartet. Hearing The John Lewis Piano for the first time in April lifted the veil. The music by Martha Argerich, Sviatoslav Richter and András Schiff I’ve mainlined in the past couple years allow me to finally appreciate the classical inclinations of MJQ leader John Lewis.

An approach that previously struck me as precious now seems wonderfully weird on the 1958 recording. The awkward title and dodgy sound correspond with the outlandishly unconventional chamber jazz featuring members of MJQ and an aggressive cricket. My new favorite band is 73 years old.

Album Review: Tucker Wetmore- What Not To

A friend is aghast at my ongoing affection for the music of Morgan Wallen. Not only have I not cancelled Wallen, I continue to listen to the controversial country star for pleasure.

My pal may not know I was raised on country music and that my life partner’s predilections mean I’ve always been familiar with current country radio fare. Another critical factor can’t be easily dismissed: I live in Kansas. I’m liable to hear Wallen every time I step outside.

Tucker Wetmore sounds a lot like Wallen throughout his new album What Not To. The best songs of both men concern the irresistible lure of alcohol and the heartbreak of the women they love. Given it’s the soundtrack of my life, I’m willing to forgive the incessant sonic and lyrical clichés.

I’m the Problem, Morgan Wallen’s fourth album, will be released next month. If it’s as solid as What Not To, it’s going to be a country-themed summer on my Kansas homestead. My friend is always welcome, but he’ll never talk to me again if he catches me singing along with "It Takes One to Break One".