Album Review: Elephant9 with Terje Rypdal- Catching Fire

Traveling salesmen and airplane pilots bought houses in a shiny subdivision fifteen minutes south of Kansas City’s new airport in the 1970s. Their spouses tended to be school teachers and travel agents. Abetted by basements offset from the remainder of split-level homes, their children ran wild in 1976.

Boys sorted themselves by sports agility and musical taste. Bespectacled and shrimpy, I tried to determine if I most loved hard rock (Aerosmith!), pop (Elton John!) or soul (Stevie Wonder!). The majority of my peers were devotees of prog rock.

“Carry On Wayward Son” and “Crystal Ball,” current hits by the Midwestern bands Kansas and Styx, were ubiquitous. Albums by Emerson, Lake & Palmer, Genesis and Yes were accentuated by lava lamps and sound-triggered novelty lights in approximately every fifth or so residence in the neighborhood.

The coolest boys moved beyond prog rock. They formed jazz fusion bands inspired by the likes of Billy Cobham, Jan Hammer, Jaco Pastorius and Terje Rypdal. The best of their jam sessions sounded a lot like Catching Fire.

Released in October, Catching Fire is a 2017 live collaboration between the storied Norwegian guitarist Rypdal and his countrymen in Elephant9. The ridiculously overblown attack is a refreshing blast from the past. I almost wish the Ramones and the Sugar Hill Gang hadn’t come along to render the excessive pomp obsolete.

All Life Long: The Top Albums, EPs and Reissues of 2024

I listened to nothing but tinny opera recordings from the 1950s during several glorious days in the past twelve months. Inspired by a few of the reissues listed below, I also went on extended vintage gypsy jazz jags, took deep dives into 1960s free jazz and wallowed in 1970s funk. While I prize each of the 2024 releases ranked here, little of the new music affected me as much as the sounds of the distant past I hadn’t previously encountered. What now? My interests continue to change with such rapidity that I can’t foresee what will capture my attention in 2025.

The Top Fifty New Albums of 2024

1. Kali Malone- All Life Long

2. Jlin- Akoma

3. JPEGMAFIA- I Lay Down My Life for You

4. Pygmalion- Mozart: Requiem

5. Zach Bryan- The Great American Bar Scene

6. Sunny Five- Candid

7. Future and Metro Boomin- We Don’t Trust You and 

We Still Don’t Trust You

8. Grupo Frontera- Jugando a Que No Pasa Nada

9. Caroline Shaw- Leonardo da Vinci: Original Score

10. Bilal- Live at Glasshaus and Adjust Brightness

11. Nduduzo Makhathini- uNomkhubulwane

12. Willie Nelson- Last Leaf on the Tree and The Border

13. Sarah Davachi- The Head as Form’d in the Crier’s Choir

14. Sault- Acts of Faith

15. Philip Glass- Solo

16. Anja Lechner- Bach Abel Hume

17. Brad Mehldau- After Bach II and Après Fauré

18. Fred Hersch- Silent, Listening

19. Oren Ambarchi- Ghosted II

20. Denzel Curry- King of the Mischievous South, Vol. 2

21. Vince Staples- Dark Times

22. Kaitlin Butts- Roadrunner!

23. Borderlands Trio- Rewilder

24. Jack White- No Name

25. Willi Carlisle- Critterland

26. Linda Thompson- Proxy Music

27. Tord Gustavsen Trio- Seeing

28. Moor Mother- The Great Bailout

29. Tomeka Reid, Isidora Edwards and Elisabeth Coudoux- 

Reid/Edwards/Coudoux

30. Blackstarkids- Saturn Dayz and Heaven On Urf

31. Rogê- Curyman II

32. Nala Sinephro- Endlessness

33. Samara Joy- Portrait

34. John Adams- Girls of the Golden West

35. Common and Pete Rock- The Auditorium Vol. 1

36. Betty Bryant- Lotta Livin’

37. The Smile- Wall of Eyes and Cutouts

38. Barbara Hannigan and Bertrand Chamayou- Messiaen

39. Véronique Gens- Paysage

40. Ahmed- Wood Blues

41. Jessica Pratt- Here in the Pitch

42. SML- Small Medium Large

43. Kevin Puts- The Hours

44. Tarbaby- You Think This America

45. SleazyWorld Go- More Than a Shooter

46. Andrew Cyrille, Kit Downes and Bill Frisell- Breaking the Shell

47. Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds- Wild God

48. Ryuichi Sakamoto- Opus

49. Kendrick Lamar- GNX

50. The Wiener Philharmoniker with Lise Davidsen- Sommernachtskonzert at the Schönbrunn Palace

The Top 25 EPs of 2024

1. Drug Church- Prude

2. Mike and Tony Seltzer- Pinball

3. Laura Cannell- Firelore

4. Little Simz- Drop

5. Shabaka- Possession

6. Peter Schlamb- Pliable Consciousness

7. Regional Justice Center- Freedom Sweet Freedom

8. Shredders- Serious Dudes

9. Benoît Delbecq- Triple Fever

10. Krystle Warren & The Academy- Extended Play

11. Wilco- Hot Sun Cool Shroud

12. Khatia Buniatishvili- Labyrinth: Ephemera

13. Knocked Loose- You Won’t Go Before You’re Supposed To

14. Anysia Kym- Truest

15. Leonhard Baumgartner, Svenja Dose, Margarita Pochebut, Oscar Jockel- Mozart: Serenade in C Major, K. 648 “A Very Little Night Music”

16. Thirdface- Ministerial Cafeteria

17. Melt-Banana- 3+5

18. Badbadnotgood- Mid Spiral: Chaos

19. Joan Shelley- Mood Ring

20. Doris- The Saver

21. Carminho- At Electrical Audio

22. Herbert Blomstedt and Gewandhausorchester- Mozart: Serenade in C Major, K. 648 “A Very Little Night Music”

23. Ramona and the Holy Smokes- Til It’s Over

24. Meth Math- Chupetones

25. Snorri Hallgrimsson- Longer Shadows, Softer Stones

The Top 25 Reissues and Reimaginings of 2024

1. Alice Coltrane- The Carnegie Hall Concert

2. funk.BR: São Paulo

3. Paul McCartney- One Hand Clapping

4. Miles Davis- Miles in France 1963 & 1964: The Bootleg Series, Vol. 8

5. Charles Gayle, William Parker and Milford Graves- WEBO

6. Emahoy Tsegué Maryam Guèbrou- Souvenirs

7. Robyn Hitchcock- 1967: Vacations in the Past

8. McCoy Tyner, Joe Henderson, Henry Grimes and Jack DeJohnette- Forces of Nature: Live at Slugs

9. Rail Band- Rail Band

10. Sonic Youth- Walls Have Ears

11. Flatland Cavalry- Flatland Forever

12. Jakob Bro- Taking Turns

13. Mal Waldron and Steve Lacy- The Mighty Warriors Live in Antwerp

14. Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan- Chain of Light

15. Alejandro Escovedo- Echo Dancing

16. The Ohio Players- Observations In Time: The Johnny Brantley/Vidalia Productions

17. Ron Miles- Old Main Chapel

18. Jack Bruce- Smiles & Grins, Broadcast Sessions 1970-2001

19. William Baskinski- September 23rd

20. Gastr Del Sol- We Have Dozens of Titles

21. Art Tatum- Jewels in the Treasure Box: The 1953 Chicago Blue Note Jazz Club Recordings

22. DJ-Kicks: Honey Dijon

23. Bryan Ferry- Retrospective: Selected Recordings 1973-2023

24. Dolly Parton and Family- Smoky Mountain DNA: Family, Faith and Fables

25. Charlie Parker- Bird in Kansas City

My fifty favorite performances of 2024 are ranked here. My fifty favorite songs of 2024 are listed here. And my top albums and songs of 2023 are here.

The Top Fifty Performances of 2024

(Original image of Vasily Petrenko and Isata Kanneh-Mason at Helzberg Hall by There Stands the Glass.)

Just because I’m no longer paid to review concerts doesn’t mean I stopped going out. The 157 music performances I’ve attended so far in 2024 represent an unprecedented financial outlay. The out-of-pocket figure would have been even more breathtaking had I been able to bring myself to acquire exorbitantly priced tickets to sold-out appearances in the Kansas City area by Bad Bunny, J. Cole and Grupo Frontera. Visiting the bucket list venues Wigmore Hall, Wiener Hofmusikkapelle and Wiener Staatsoper and catching the Jesus and Mary Chain, Makaya McCraven, Negativland and Jah Wobble for the first time was worth the expense. Unless I live longer than anticipated, the investment will have been worth it.

1. Militarie Gun, Pool Kids, Spiritual Cramp and Spacing at recordBar
My review.

2. Peter Schlamb, Matt Otto, Matt Villinger, Sebastian Arias and Zach Morrow at the Ship
My review.

3. Véronique Gens and Susan Manoff at Wigmore Hall (London)
My Instagram snapshot.

4. Jeffrey Osborne at Ameristar Casino
My Instagram clip.

5. Nick Shoulders at Third Place Lounge
My review.

6. Mike, 454, Niontay and El Cousteau at recordBar
My Instagram clip.

7. Wiener Staatsoper’s “Carmen” (Vienna)
My Instagram snapshot.

8. Flatland Cavalry at Grinders KC
My Instagram clip.

9. Makaya McCraven at Liberty Hall
My review.

10. Peter Schipka, Choralschola der Wiener Hofburgkapelle, Wiener Sängerknaben and Wiener Staatsoper at Wiener Hofmusikkapelle (Vienna)
My Instagram clip.

11. Rev. Dwight Frizzell’s Heliophonie at Charlotte Street Foundation
My review.

12. Rev. Dwight Frizzell’s Bridge at Charlotte Street Foundation
My Instagram clip.

13. Ema Nikolovska at the Folly Theater 
My review.

14. Childish Gambino and Willow at the T-Mobile Center
My review.

15. Lawrence Brownlee at the Lied Center
My review.

16. Joe Lovano, Marilyn Crispell and Carmen Castaldi at Wigmore Hall (London)
My review.

17. Sandbox Percussion, Soowin Kim and Gloria Chen at Lincoln Performance Hall (Portland)
My review.

18. Isata Kanneh-Mason with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra at Helzberg Hall
My review.

19. Rod Fleeman Trio at Green Lady Lounge
My Instagram clip.

20. UMKC Opera’s “Marriage of Figaro” at White Theater
My review.

21. Yo-Yo Ma and the Harmony Project at Parade Park
My Instagram clip.

22. David Lord, V. Vecker and the Extemporaneous Music and Arts Society at Farewell
My review.

23. Jah Wobble’s Invaders of the Heart at Mississippi Studios
My review.

24. Nick Shoulders and Chris Acker at Knuckleheads
My Instagram clip.

25. Lionel Richie and Earth Wind & Fire at the T-Mobile Center
My review.

26. Khatia Buniatishvili at Helzberg Hall
My Instagram snapshot.

27. Willi Carlisle at the Folk Alliance Conference
My Instagram clip.

28. UMKC Opera’s Puccini’ Suor Angelica at the James C. Olson Performing Arts Center
My Instagram snapshot.

29. Negativland at recordBar
My Instagram clip.

30. Isidore String Quartet at Zhou B Art Center
My Instagram snapshot.

31. Joyce DiDonato with the Kansas City Symphony at Helzberg Hall
My review.

32. Adam Larson Quartet at the Blue Room
My review.

33. Kansas City Symphony’s “Matthias Pintscher conducts Symphony Dances: West Side Story and Rachmaninoff” at Helzberg Hall
My review.

34. Dave Alvin and Jimmie Dale Gilmore at the Aladdin Theater (Portland)
My Instagram clip.

35. The Lyric Opera of Kansas City’s “Roméo et Juliette” at Muriel Kauffman Theatre
My review.

36. Rick Bartlett at Ricky B’s (Louisville)
My Instagram clip.

37. Drug Church at recordBar
My Instagram clip.

38. Steve Hackett’s “Genesis Revisited” at the Uptown Theater
My Instagram clip.

39. Steve Cardenas, Forest Stewart and Brian Steever at Westport Coffee House
My review.

40. Alber’s “By the Sea” at Charlotte Street Foundation
My Instagram snaphot.

41. Jackie Myers, Matt Otto and Bob Bowman at the Market at Meadowbrook
My Instagram clip.

42. Dunedin Consort’s “St. John Passion” at Atonement Lutheran Church
My Instagram snapshot.

43. Jeremy Denk at the Folly Theater
My review.

44. Bachathon XLV at Grace and Holy Trinity Cathedral
My Instagram snapshot.

45. The Psychedelic Furs, the Jesus and Mary Chain and Frankie Rose at the Uptown Theater
My Instagram snapshot.

46. Beppe Gambetta at the 1900 Building
My Instagram snapshot.

47. Seth A Davis, Kwan Leung Ling, Aaron Osborne and Evan Verploegh at 7th Heaven
My Instagram clip.

48. Danielle Nicole at Records with Merritt
My Instagram snapshot.

49. Ernest Melton, Parker Woolworth, Jordan Faught and Jalen Ward at In the Lowest Ferns
My review.

50. Sleater-Kinney and Palehound at the Truman
My Instagram clip.

Last year’s concert ranking is here.

Burning Brains: The Top Fifty Songs of 2024

Original image by There Stands the Glass.

My musical predilections were more informed by recent obsessions than by global events this year. I traced the footsteps of Mozart, flirted with Catholicism, read compulsively and watched the lines in my face deepen into chasms. Creeping maturity is evinced by several of the selections below. Yet my affinity for carefree fun clearly has yet to evaporate. As always, there’s no artist overlap on my songs and albums lists. A corresponding Spotify playlist is here.

1. Tierra Whack- “Burning Brains”

2. Charli XCX and Lorde- “Girl, so confusing”

3. Heems featuring Vijay Iyer and Sid Vashi- "Manto"

4. Meshell Ndgegeocello- "Travel"

5. Joel Ross- “bach (God the Father in Eternity)”

6. Tank and the Bangas featuring Samara Joy and Robert Glasper- "Remember"

7. Maxo Kream and Tyler, The Creator- "Cracc Era"

8. Sexyy Red- "Get It Sexyy"

9. Tinashe- "Nasty"

10. Joaquín Sabina- “Un última vals”

11. Mary J. Blige- “Here I Am”

12. A$AP Rocky featuring Jessica Pratt- “Highjack”

13. 070 Shake- “Winter Baby/New Jersey Blues”

14. Amyl and the Sniffers- “U Should Not Be Doing That”

15. Tyler, The Creator featuring GloRilla, Sexyy Red and Lil Wayne- “Sticky”

16. Rosalía and Ralphie Choo- “Omega”

17. Horsegirl- “2468”

18. Ella Langley- “Hungover”

19. The Harlem Gospel Travelers- “Jesus Rhapsody, Pt. 1”

20. El Cousteau featuring Earl Sweatshirt- “Words2LiveBy”

21. GloRilla- “Yeah Glo!”

22. Hiatus Kaiyote- “Telescope”

23. Anna Butterss- “Shorn”

24. Marsha Ambrosius- "Wet"

25. Jeff Parker ETA IVtet- “Freakadelic”

26. Camila Cabello featuring Playboi Carti- “I LUV IT”

27. Michael Kiwanuka- “Lowdown (part 1)”

28. Scott H. Biram- “Inside a Bar”

29. Waxahatchee- “Burns Out at Midnight”

30. Ducks Ltd.- “On Our Way to the Rave”

31. Carly Pearce- “Fault Line”

32. La Luz- “Always in Love”

33. The Weeknd featuring Anitta- "São Paulo"

34. Staples Jr. Singers- “I’ve Got a Feeling”

35. Arooj Aftab- “Raat Ki Rani”

36. That Mexican OT featuring DaBaby- “Point Em Out”

37. Miranda Lambert- “Alimony”

38. Hinds- “En Forma”

39. DannyLux- “Maldito Alcohol”

40. JD McPherson- “Shining Like Gold”

41. Lainey Wilson- “Keep Up With Jones”

42. Nettspend- “Perc Soda”

43. Sprints- “Heavy”

44. Bonnie “Prince” Billy- “London May”

45. Yahritza Y Su Esencia featuring Michelle Maciel- “Nivel Dios”

46. Idles- “Gift Horse”

47. Madi Diaz- “God Person”

48. Dwight Yoakam and Post Malone- “I Don’t Know How to Say Goodbye (Bang Bang Boom Boom)”

49. Sierra Ferrell- “I Could Drive You Crazy”

50. Kabin Crew and Lisdoonvarna Crew- “The Spark”

There Stands the Glass’ top albums and songs of 2023 are ranked here.

Blind Spots

The predictable backlash to the sharing of Spotify Wrapped reports by subscribers of the streaming service is becoming increasingly annoying. Bitter killjoys who claim “Spotify doesn’t pay artists” clearly don’t care to read financial statements. Besides, the fact that the overwhelming majority of  artists and record labels employ Spotify speaks for itself.

Spotify hasn’t paid me a penny for my “content” (ugh!) at the service. Instead of deflecting the blame for my unpopularity, I’m thrilled my work is just a click away for anyone with an internet connection. With a more marketable concept I might be among the more than 10,000 artists earning more than $100,000 a year through Spotify streams.

Yet I’ve noticed an even more troubling trend. Citing principles, an increasing number of individuals claim to boycott all music streaming services. When I hear the audacious assertion, I’m forced to believe that either these people don’t really care for music or they limit their listening to highly specialized niches.

The internet killed my career twenty years ago, but there’s not point in being bitter. The capacity to hear almost everything on demand fulfills a lifelong fantasy. I consume hundreds of newly released songs and albums every week. It’s not a coincidence that I spent an unprecedented amount of money on tickets to more than 100 music events in 2024. That’s among the reasons why the 2024 edition of my Spotify Wrapped represents a dream come true.

Back in the day, I bought CDs, DVDs and VHS videos directly from Rich the Factor O.T.T. (out the trunk) or at the Kansas City retailer 7th Heaven. Now the groundbreaking local hero has more than 100 titles posted at Spotify. I almost certainly wouldn’t have become enamored with Grupo Frontera without access to music streaming. The band’s buoyant songs were my go-to party soundtrack throughout the year. As a dozen Hank Williams CDs moldered in the Museum of Dead People and Obsolete Music Formats in my basement, streaming versions of his pain songs were staples of my roadtrips.

Here’s a concession to the naysayers: obviously, I didn’t listen to Johann Sebastian Bach or Henry Purcell. That’s impossible. Spotify apparently prioritizes the composers’ tags over the performers’ labels. That’s presumably why the likes of Hilary Hahn, Anja Lechner and Brad Mehldau don’t show up here. I can only assume their representatives are aware of the anomaly.

Essential Organs

Original image of a detail of Salzburg Cathedral by There Stands the Glass.

I associated church organs with sickly mood music for funerals during the first third of my life. As a child I wondered why mourners and the corpses on display in coffins were subjected to dreary laments of the built-in instruments at houses of worship. My sensibilities have changed. 

Most of the Sunday morning services I now eagerly attend conclude with brief organ recitals that sometimes refute the preceding solemn rites with freewheeling showmanship. As most parishioners head for the exits, I stick around for the life-affirming exhibitions. 

Organs were at the center of a significant portion of my favorite music experiences of 2024. In addition to churches near my home, I relished the sound of organs in Bratislava, London, Salzburg and Vienna. 

Stellar new recordings by contemporary composers including Laura Cannell, Sarah Davachi and Kali Malone enhanced my appreciation of organ works of the standard classical repertoire. One thing hasn’t changed- I remain frustratingly allergic to jazz organ.

November 2024 Recap: A Monthly Exercise in Critical Transparency

Screenshot of Garsington Opera’s production of Jean-Philippe Rameau’s Platée by There Stands the Glass.

The Top Ten Albums of November

1. Willie Nelson- Last Leaf on the Tree
Take my mind.

2. Rogê- Curyman II
MPB.

3. 070 Shake- Petrichor
Rarified pop.

4. Žibuoklė Martinaitytė- Alethia
Crucial choral music.

5. Maxo Kream- Personification
Tall tales from Texas.

6. Kendrick Lamar- GNX
Trying to recover the plot.

7. Johnny Coles- Mister Sweet Whisper
Jazz poetry.

8. Dorinda Clark-Cole- Determined
Abundance.

9. The Body- The Crying Out of Things
My review.

10. Black Dog- Sleep Deprivation
Dark ambiance.

The Top Ten Songs of November

1. The Weeknd featuring Anitta- "São Paulo"
Jet set.

2. Tyler The Creator, GloRilla, Sexyy Red and Lil Wayne- “Sticky”
Gumming up the works.

3. Traxman- “I Want U to Ghost”
Spectral footwork.

4. Trap Dickey featuring BigXthaPlug- “No Love”
Cold.

5. Clipping- "Keep Pushing"
Open the door.

6. Kim Deal- "Disobedience"
Uncivil.

7. Grupo Frontera featuring Oscar Maydon- "¿Qué Te Parece?"
Sos grande.

8. Girls of the Internet featuring Allysha Joy- "The Middle"
House.

9. Horsegirl- "2468"
Got me in my Feelies.

10. Mekons- “You’re Not Singing Anymore”
Cursed.

The Top Ten Performances of November

1. Peter Schlamb, Matt Otto, Matt Villinger, Sebastian Arias and Zach Morrow at the Ship
My Instagram clip.

2. UMKC Opera’s production of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s “Marriage of Figaro” at White Theater
My Instagram snapshot.

3. Dunedin Consort’s “J.S. Bach: St. John Passion” at Atonement Lutheran Church
My Instagram snapshot.

4. Ernest Melton, Parker Woolworth, Jordan Faught and Jalen Ward at In the Lowest Ferns
My Instagram clip.

5. Paul Rudy, Thomas Rosenkranz, Seth Andrew Davis and Dan DiPiero and three student ensembles at the Diastole Scholars’ Center
My Instagram clip.

6. Lyric Opera of Kansas City’s “Opera to Go” at the Jewish Community Center of Greater Kansas City
My Instagram clip.

7. Tomoko Iguchi and Karen Savage at Yardley Hall
My Instagram snapshot.

8. Charles Perkins, Roger Wilder, Gerald Spaits and Brian Steever at Yardley Hall
My Instagram snapshot.

9. Extra Large Experimental Big Band at Charlotte Street Foundation
My Instagram clip.

10. Stan Kessler, Aaron Sizemore, Forest Stewart and Mike Warren at the Music House
My Instagram snapshot.

The previous monthly recap is here.

The Top Kansas City Albums, EPs and Reissues of 2024

I’m looking forward to returning to Mark Manning’s Wednesday MidDay Medley program on community radio station KKFI on Wednesday, November 27. Preparing to share music on the year-end best-of show compelled me to complete the following annual exercise. The agonizing process invariably means snubbing a few friends and elevating the art of talented antagonists in Kansas City’s various music communities. The songs I’ll feature on Wednesday MidDay Medley were selected partly for concise track lengths, clean edits and in deference to the predilections of my fellow guests.

The Top 25 Kansas City Albums of 2024

1. Blackstarkids- Saturn Dayz /Heaven on Urf
High concept.

2. Betty Bryant- Lotta Livin’
Plastic Sax review.

3. Willi Carlisle- Critterland
Feral folk.

4. SleazyWorld Go- More Than a Shooter
Shots fired.

5. Logan Richardson- The Science of Superstition
Plastic Sax review.

6. Charles McPherson- Reverence
Plastic Sax review.

7. Behzod Abduraimov- Shadows of My Ancestors
Prokofiev, Ravel and Saidaminova.

8. Danielle Nicole- The Love You Bleed
Medic!

9. Ben Allison, Steve Cardenas and Ted Nash- Tell the Birds I Said Hello: The Music of Herbie Nichols
Plastic Sax review.

10. Tech N9ne- COSM
Collabos.

11. Matt Otto, Xose Miguélez and Abe Rábade- The Landscape Listens
Plastic Sax review.

12. Waxahatchee- Tigers Blood
Comfort food.

13. Rod Fleeman- Saturday Afternoon Live at Green Lady Lounge, Volume 3
Plastic Sax review.

14. Pat Metheny- MoonDial
Plastic Sax review.

15. Loidis- One Day
Electro-propulsion.

16. Scott Dean Taylor and Seth Andrew Davis- Infidels
Plastic Sax review.

17. Lyric Opera of Kansas City, The Kansas City Symphony and The Lyric Opera of Kansas City Chorus- Moravec: The Shining
Redrum.

18. Sandbox Percussion- Bloom
Banging on cans.

19. Narrative Quartet featuring Adam Larson- Trust Fund Tinder Goblins Howling at the Moon
Plastic Sax review.

20. Karrin Allyson- A Kiss for Brazil
Plastic Sax review.

21. Joey Cool- Roller Coaster
Tech mime.

22. Michael Pagán- Paganova
Plastic Sax review.

23. Zachary Barthelman and Evan Verploegh- Sound/Color
Plastic Sax review.

24. Stan Kessler- Two’s Company
Plastic Sax review.

25. Alber- Born at Sea
Plastic Sax review.

The Top Ten Kansas City EPs of 2024

1. Peter Schlamb- Pliable Consciousness
Plastic Sax review.

2. Krystle Warren & The Academy- Extended Play
There Stands the Glass review.

3. Boldy James and Conductor Williams- Across the Tracks
Crazy train.

4. Midwestern- Reflections
There Stands the Glass review.

5. Conductor Williams- Conductor We Have a Problem, Pt. 3
Off the rails.

6. Burning Bush- Demo 2024
 Flames of fire.

7. Jorge Arana Trio- Merciélago
Dark shadows.

8. Drew Williams- Wobble
Plastic Sax review.

9. Rich the Factor- Souped Up Sofa
KC’s the town.

10. Treanne- 20/20
Focused.

The Top Five Kansas City Reissues of 2024

1. Charlie Parker- Bird in Kansas City
Plastic Sax review.

2. Coalesce- Live at BBC’s Maida Vale Studios
Furious 2009 session.

3. The Get Up Kids- Something to Write Home About: 25th Anniversary Deluxe Edition
Red letter days.

4. Jennifer Knapp- Kansas 25
A fresh rendering of the 1998 CCM classic.

5. Kevin Mahogany- Gem Theater Live
Plastic Sax review.

Last year’s list is here.

Opera Review: UMKC Conservatory’s Le Nozze di Figaro

Original image by There Stands the Glass.

A trigger warning was posted at the doors of White Recital Hall on Wednesday, November 20. The note advised that droit du seigneur is an essential plot point of “Le Nozze di Figaro.” In blending the threat of sexual violence with boisterous hilarity, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and librettist Lorenzo Da Ponte crafted the most popular work in the history of the form.

The opening night of UMKC Conservatory’s three-hour production was unremittingly delightful. Heidi Shea (Susanna) radiated stardom. I also appreciated the robust presence of Evan J. Nelson (Count Almaviva), the comedic acting of Madeline Friesen (Cherubino) and the lush voice of  Victoria Schmidt (Countess Almaviva).

A Mozart freak, I didn’t need to be warned about the opera’s harshest component. I was triggered, however, by the dismal attendance of about 125. I bought a $25 ticket as a member of the general public, but discounted ticket options are available. The production runs through Saturday, November 23. Wednesday’s performance streams here.

EP Review: Krystle Warren & The Faculty- Extended Play

Does behaving like an adult mean relinquishing fun? That’s the perception of a man who was seated near me at a barbershop today. He confessed that he no longer visits his favorite watering hole because he senses he’s aged out.

I didn’t tell him that I’m often the oldest person in the room in basements, bars and concert halls during musical performances. Am I embarrassing myself? Maybe. I prefer to think of my apparently undignified sprees as extended play.

Krystle Warren seems to feel the same way. While she has yet to reach my advanced age, the Paris based Kansas City native is old enough to relish the double entendre in the title of her new release Extended Play.

The eight songs on the 28-minute recording display the late-career maturity of her like-minded inspirations Joni Mitchell, John Lennon and Nina Simone. Warren understands that there comes a moment after which each new day seems like a gift.

Reflective songs like “When I Look Back” invoke the tired axiom about age and wisdom. Maturity clearly suits Warren. As for myself, I’m praying my extended play lasts until the moment I perish.