Never Too Much: Playboi Carti and R.A.P. Ferreira

Screenshot of Komische Oper Berlin’s production of "Semele" by There Stands the Glass.

Two hip-hop albums I’ve listened to compulsively in the last several days have almost nothing in common.  Playboi Carti’s synthetic Whole Lotta Red is a decadent exercise in willful stupidity.  R.A.P. Ferreira’s organic Bob's Son: In the Garden Level Cafe of the Scallops Hotel resembles the extracurricular activities of an undergraduate teacher assistant in an elite university’s philosophy department.  I love ‘em both.  The loony idiocy of Whole Lotta Red is propelled by exhilarating digital beats.  And while the Atlantan’s lyrics are absurd, Carti possesses the flow of a futuristic jazz artist.  Ferreira actually is a sort of jazz artist.  Bob’s Son sounds like a J Dilla remix of a collaboration between Frank Zappa and the Last Poets.  Yet one element of Bob’s Son is disappointing.  A few of his raps about rapping- one of my biggest pet peeves- can be interpreted as insults of mumble rappers like Carti.  Why so reactionary?  My world is big enough to accommodate the wildly disparate work of both men.

---

I’m already backsliding.  Three days after concluding my opera-a-day marathon, I began watching Komische Oper Berlin’s production of "Semele", a remarkably saucy George Friedrich Handel opera I’d yet to see.  I was rewarded by the discovery of "Endless Pleasure, Endless Love" at the end of the first act.  Playboi Carti would approve.

---

I review The Standards, Vol. 1, the new album by the Christopher Burnett Quintet, at Plastic Sax.

Gesamtkunstwerk

Screenshot of Uwe Schönbeck in Komische Oper Berlin’s production of Jacques Offenbach’s “The Tales of Hoffman” by There Stands the Glass.

It’s over.  My daily opera initiative will end on New Year’s Eve when I finish watching the 285th opera I’ll have taken in on 285 consecutive days.  The binge expanded my worldview, enhanced my appreciation of all forms of music and provided an ideal diversion during the pandemic.  Yet it’s become a burdensome chore.

Now that my taste has developed, I’m no longer willing to accept whatever’s available.  I’ve grown frustrated by the scarcity of productions consistent with my sensibilities.  Multiple versions of hits like “La Bohème,” “Die Zauberflöte” or “La Traviata” are always on tap, but tracking down videos of operas I haven’t seen is increasingly difficult.

More significantly, the obligation became a hassle.  Rather than enjoy an unseasonably warm day a couple weeks ago, I was tethered to a four-hour and 45-minute production of Richard Wagner’s “Götterdämmerung.”  Brünnhilde wouldn’t approve of my decision to stay indoors to see her self-immolate a third time. 

I don’t intend to go cold turkey.  I’ll still watch an opera when the mood strikes me, maybe once a week.  Viewing 52 virtual operas a year sounds about right.  And I’ve just begun exploring the colossal vault of opera recordings.  Even so, I have a crucial void to fill.  I have a few tricks up my rolled-up sleeve as I await my vaccine injections.

---

I ranted and raved on KCUR’s Christmas Eve broadcast about The 10 Best Songs to Come Out of Kansas City In 2020 and The 10 Best Holiday Songs by Kansas City Artists. And no, I didn’t title the segments.

We Will Now Receive Your Offering

Original image of a Louisville church’s signage by There Stands the Glass.

Attending a Latin mass at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in January was a highlight of my churchgoing life.  I’ve since been reduced to watching virtual worship services on Sunday mornings.  Two recent releases remind me of what I’ve been missing.

Emmanuel, a 12-minute EP by Kanye West’s Sunday Service choir, catapulted me back to Jerusalem.  The odd variant of the Latin hymns sung at Catholic, Anglican and Episcopalian churches toys with convention.  The impossibly esoteric recording may have a target audience of one.  Thanks to everyone involved- I treasure my bespoke Christmas gift!

While decidedly secular, Yo-Yo Ma and Kathryn Stott’s Songs of Comfort and Hope is typical of the inspirational music occasionally performed as offering plates are passed among affluent Protestant congregations.  In addition to providing uplifting beauty, cello and piano duets in this vein are likely to inspire bouts of generosity. 

Treacly readings of classic melodies such as “Over the Rainbow” will undoubtedly provide comfort and hope to thousands of anxious souls, but Ma and Stott’s unabashed sentimentality sometimes makes me want to throw bricks through stained glass windows.  Even so, a third of the 79-minute public service project is positively divine.

K.T. Oslin, 1942-2020

Original image by There Stands the Glass.

K.T. Oslin was among my life partner’s favorite artists in the late ‘80s.  I must have heard "Hold Me", "80s Ladies” and “Hey Bobby” hundreds of times during those years.  I never complained.  While the production applied to her songs was too slick for my taste, Oslin’s salty attitude and convincing twang made her as compelling as her hit-making contemporaries like Randy Travis, Rodney Crowell and Patty Loveless.  The ticket stub pictured above reflects Oslin’s popularity in 1991.  I paid $22.50 a pop for tickets to a concert she headlined at a 18,000-capacity outdoor venue.  Oslin died today.

---

I blurt wildly inappropriate things when I’m not raving about artists including Bad Bunny, Blackstarkids and Beatrice Dillon on 90.9 The Bridge’s weekly Eight One Sixty program airing at 6 p.m. CST Tuesday, December 22.

---

I review Alaturka’s new album In Concert with KU Ensemble I at Plastic Sax.

Game Over

Original image by There Stands the Glass.

I’ve long mused that if every aspect of my charmed life were to suddenly fall apart, I could numb myself by acquiring the latest video game equipment.  The virtual abyss might provide a modicum of consolation. 

The learning curve would be steep.  I haven’t played a video game of any type in more than 30 years.  While musicians occasionally recast melodies from video games as novelties, I was confident I wasn't missing anything by ignoring their nerdy inclinations.  That’s changed.

The soundtrack of Cyberpunk 2077 includes tracks by notable musicians including Yugen Blackrok and Run the Jewels. Colin Stetson and Arca contributed music to Red Dead Redemption 2. I’m very curious about the context of each song’s use. My hypothetical downfall has a small upside.

O Fortuna

Screenshot of Jean-Pierre Ponnelle’s 1975 lurid interpretation of Carmina Burana by There Stands the Glass.

I’m mutating before your very eyes.  With the task of making life-and-death decisions such as whether or not the slightly cloying adult pop of Lianne La Havas’ self-titled album really belongs on my year-end album list finalized, I have time to begin exploring the alien sonic terrain I’ve discovered through my ongoing opera binge. Examples:

*What in the wide, wide world of sports is a-goin’ on here?  I may never recover from witnessing a German troupe’s lighthearted depiction of sensual pleasures and eternal damnation set to Carl Orff’s infamous canticle Carmina Burana.

*I stumbled upon the Empty Concertgebouw Sessions series via Brad Mehldau’s breathtaking entry, but the Van Baerle Trio’s stunning interpretation of Beethoven’s “Ghost” floored me.  I’m also pleased to learn of Lilian Farahani.

*Back on the opera beat: 1992 production of Claude Debussy’s “Pelléas et Mélisande”- #264 in my daily binge- shook me.

My tiny world is rapidly expanding. Paraphrasing Aristotle, the more I know, the more I realize I don’t know. Yet it’s still too soon to say farewell to the old me. I recently admired Shawn Mendes’ latest homage to Paul McCartney, the Kansas City rapper Rich The Factor’s eighth release of 2020, Doug Carn’s solid contribution to the excellent Jazz Is Dead series and Kelly Finnigan’s impressive new Christmas album.

Mingus, Nils and Orff

Original image of Nils Frahm at the Big Ears Festival by There Stands the Glass.

I’ve waved off criticism concerning the presence of songs by a couple of notoriously awful men on my Best Songs of 2020 list.  One’s a compulsive jerk.  The other is a convicted criminal.  While many of their actions disgust me, I’m not willing to pretend I don’t admire their work.

Charles Mingus was an unsavory character.  His problematic behavior doesn’t lessen my appreciation of his brilliance.  After obsessing over @ Bremen 1964 & 1975 in recent days, I admire Mingus more than ever.  The new four-hour set documents of a pair of ferocious German concerts.

Even though I’d previously heard hours of Mingus’ material from these eras, I’m struck by the immediacy of the Bremen shows.  The message of the artistic and societal prophet is just as urgent today as it was decades ago.  Bursting with caustic rage, absurd pastiches and futuristic blues, both sets contain the best type of protest music.

The bands operate as cohesive units, but pianist Jaki Byard occasionally outshines saxophonist Eric Dolphy on the first date while the genius of pianist Don Pullen stands out amid the 1975 all-star band.  A mountain of Mingus- including instructive footage of the 1964 tour- has long been available.  But when it comes to one of the most consequential artists of the previous century, too much can never be enough. 

---

I might have dismissed Tripping with Nils Frahm had I not caught an hour of the talented cult hero’s appearance at the Big Ears Festival in Knoxville last year.  The new live set showcases the German’s remarkable range.  Frahm offers safe harbor for people who’ve aged out of electronic dance music but have yet to dig Bill Evans.

---

In order to keep my daily opera streak alive- the count is now up to 261- I turn to relatively compact compositions when I’m busy or suffering from opera-induced ennui. Grainy footage of the Bavarian State Opera’s rowdy 1965 staging of Carl Orff’s “Der Mond” recently reminded me that a curious gander at a 71-minute obscurity can be as rewarding as a three-hour immersion in a classic work.

Don't Go Outside: The Top Albums and Songs of 2020

Screenshot of Isabel Leonard in Francis Poulenc’s “Dialogues of the Carmélites” by There Stands the Glass.

The following compendium is the result of a music obsessive finally fulfilling a lifelong fantasy of scrutinizing sound every waking hour for months on end.  While the circumstances are tragic, the relentless consumption of my music of choice acts as a balm.  Performances by Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin, Post Malone, Roddy Ricch and Luciana Souza were the most memorable concerts I attended in the opening weeks of 2020.  I’ve since filled the void created by the absence of live music with a crash course in opera.  I’ve watched a complete production each of the last 257 days.  In the time not dedicated to composers like Philip Glass, Giacomo Puccini and Richard Wagner, I’ve obsessed over the recordings listed below.  Reviews of many of the selections are published at this site and at my jazz blog Plastic Sax.

The Top 50 Albums of 2020

1. Clarice Jensen- The Experience of Repetition as Death

2. Jyoti- Mama, You Can Bet!

3. Bad Bunny- YHLQMDLG

4. Peter CottonTale- Catch

5. Jay Electronica- A Written Testimony

6. Mac Miller- Circles

7. Beatrice Dillon- Workaround

8. Jennifer Curtis and Tyshawn Sorey- Invisible Ritual

9. Freddie Gibbs and The Alchemist- Alfredo

10. Gorillaz- Song Machine, Season One: Strange Timez

11. Westside Gunn- Flygod Is an Awesome God 2

12. William Basinski- Lamentations

13. Shirley Collins- Heart's Ease

14. Ambrose Akinmusire- On the Tender Spot of Every Calloused Moment

15. Bob Dylan- Rough and Rowdy Ways

16. Bill Frisell- Valentine

17. Anja Lechner and François Couturier- Lontano

18. José James- No Beginning No End 2

19. Childish Gambino- 3.15.20

20. Kaja Draksler Octet- Out for Stars

21. Armand Hammer- Shrines

22. Nine Inch Nails- Ghosts VI: Locusts

23. Jeremy Pelt- The Art of Intimacy, Vol. 1

24. Run the Jewels- RTJ4

25. Moor Mother and Nicole Mitchell- Offering

26. Bill Fay- Countless Branches

27. Hailu Mergia- Yene Mircha

28. Angelica Sanchez and Marilyn Crispell- How to Turn the Moon

29. Nick Cave- Idiot Prayer: Alone at Alexandra Palace, 2020 

30. Sara Serpa- Recognition

31. Nicolás Jaar- Cenizas

32. Teyana Taylor- The Album

33. Steve Arrington- Down to the Lowest Terms: The Soul Sessions

34. Yaeji- What We Drew

35. Norah Jones- Pick Me Up Off the Floor

36. Rudresh Mahanthappa- Hero Trio

37. Mozzy- Beyond Bulletproof

38. Sturgill Simpson- Cuttin’ Grass Vol. 1, The Butcher Shoppe Sessions

39. Mary Halvorson’s Code Girl- Artlessly Falling

40. Brad Mehldau- Suite: April 2020

41. Zara McFarlane- Songs of an Unknown Tongue

42. Kvelertak- Splid

43. Conway the Machine- From King to a God

44. Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah- Axiom

45. Lianne La Havas- Lianne La Havas

46. Ellen Fullman & Theresa Wong- Harbors

47. Reverend John Wilkins- Trouble

48. Susan Alcorn Quintet- Pedernal

49. Raheem DeVaughn- What a Time to Be In Love

50. Tame Impala- The Slow Rush

The Top 25 EPs of 2020

1. Pongo- Uwa

2. Atmosphere- The Day Before Halloween

3. Obongjayar- Which Way Is Forward?

4. Rafiq Bhatia- Standards, Vol. 1

5. Blackstarkids- Surf

6. Roomful of Teeth and Michael Harrison- Just Constellations

7. Eddie Chacon- Pleasure, Joy and Happiness

8. Medhane- Full Circle

9. Denzel Curry and Kenny Beats- Unlocked

10. Philip Glass Ensemble- Music In Eight Parts

11. Christine and the Queens- La Vita Nuova

12. Marcos Valle- Jazz Is Dead 003

13. Flee Lord and Pete Rock- The People's Champ

14. Pasquale Grasso- Solo Bird

15. Black Noi$e- Oblivion

16. Omar Apollo- Apolonio

17. Lyric Jones- Closer Than They Appear

18. E-40- The Curb Commentator Channel 1

19. Tricky- Fall to Pieces

20. Aoife O’Donovan- Bull Frogs Croon (and Other Songs)

21. Joseph- Trio Sessions, Vol. 1

22. 10k.Caash- Planet Swajjur

23. We the People- Misunderstood

24. A$AP Ferg- Floor Seats II

25. Blackpink- The Album

The Top 25 Reissues, Compilations and Reimaginings of 2020

1. Flying Lotus- Flamagra (Instrumentals)

2. Prince- Sign o’ the Times (Super Deluxe)

3. Gil Scott-Heron- We’re New Again: A Reimagining by Makaya McCraven

4. Sleaford Mods- All That Glue

5. Jóhann Jóhannsson and Yair Elazar Glotman- Last and First Men

6. The Gospel Truth: The Complete Singles Collection

7. Gillian Welch- Boots No 2: The Lost Songs, Vol. 1

8. Tony Allen and Hugh Masekela- Rejoice

9. Mike and the Moonpies- Touch of You: The Lost Songs of Gary Stewart

10. Iva Bittová and Dorothea Kellerova- Bartók: 44 Duets for Two Violins

11. Ennio Morricone- Morricone Segreto

12. Kassa Overall- Shades of Flu: Healthy Remixes for an Ill Moment

13. The Stooges- Live at Goose Lake: August 8, 1970

14. Charlie Parker- The Savoy 10-Inch LP Collection

15. Soul Love Now: The Black Fire Records Story: 1975-1993

16. Jon Gibson- Songs & Melodies, 1973-77

17. Neil Young- Homegrown

18. Ambiance- Into a New Journey

19. Edward Simon- 25 Years

20. Stone Crush: Modern Memphis Soul 1977-1987

21. Soul Jazz Records Presents Kaleidoscope: New Spirits Known and Unknown

22. Dave Alvin- From an Old Guitar: Rare and Unreleased Recordings

23. Thelonious Monk- Palo Alto

24. Yusuf- Tea for the Tillerman 2

25. Ipa-Boogie- Ipa-Boogie

The Top 50 Songs of 2020 (Spotify playlist)

1. Juice Wrld- “Wishing Well”

2. Zsela- "Drinking"

3. Caroline Shaw and David Lang- “When I Am Alone”

4. 070 Shake- “Guilty Conscience”

5. Drake featuring Lil Durk- “Laugh Now Cry Later”

6. Thundercat- "Black Qualls"

7. Little Simz- "Might Bang, Might Not"

8. Alicia Keys featuring Khalid- "So Done"

9. Sam Hunt- "Hard to Forget"

10. John Prine- “I Remember Everything”

11. Streets and Idles- “None of Us Are Getting Out of This Life Alive”

12. 6ix9ine- "Gooba"

13. Sa-Roc- "Hand of God"

14. Frank Ocean- "Cayendo"

15. Meredith Monk and the Bang on a Can All-Stars- “The Games: Downfall”

16. Stephen Malkmus- “The Greatest Own in Legal History”

17. Elle King- "The Let Go"

18. Chris Stapleton- “You Should Probably Leave”

19. J Balvin- "Amarillo"

20. Genevieve Artadi- “Godzillaaaa”

21. City Girls- "Jobs"

22. Eminem, Royce Da 5’9”, Black Thought, Q-Tip and Denaun- "Yah Yah"

23. Future and Lil Uzi Vert- "Marni On Me"

24. Duck Sauce- "Captain Duck"

25. Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion- "WAP"

26. Groupe RTD- "Buuraha U Dheer"

27. Destroyer- “Cue Synthesizer”

28. Jessie Ware- “Remember Where You Are”

29. Illuminati Hotties- “Freequent Letdown”

30. Chloe x Halle- “Don’t Make It Harder On Me”

31. Ledisi- "Anything For You"

32. Rapsody and Bilal- “Pray Momma Don’t Cry”

33. Flo Milli- "May I"

34. BTS- "Ugh!"

35. Hinds- “Just Like Kids (Miau)”

36. Bruce Springsteen- “Janey Needs a Shooter”

37. Norah Jane Struthers- “I Feel Like My Old Self”

38. 2 Chainz- “Wait For You to Die”

39. Deftones- "Genesis"

40. Ty Dolla $ign featuring Kanye West, FKA Twigs and Skrillex- "Ego Death"

41. Miley Cyrus- “Midnight Sky”

42. Willie Nelson- "Our Song"

43. Ray Wylie Hubbard featuring Elizabeth Cook and Paula Nelson- “Drink Til I See Double”

44. The Magnetic Fields- “Favorite Bar”

45. Tyler Childers- "Long Violent History"

46. James Blake- "I Keep Calling"

47. Playboi Carti- “@meh”

48. Poppy- "Don't Go Outside"

49. Conway the Machine featuring Flee Lord, Havoc and Lloyd Banks- "Juvenile Hell"

50. Metz- "Pulse"

Bad Bunny: There Stands the Glass' Artist of the Year

Screenshot of the music video for “Yo Visto Así” by There Stands the Glass.

The sound of doomsday filled my ears this year.  Listening to anything other than harsh ambient noise during a period of societal tumult, political chaos and deadly pandemic felt like escapist folly.

My forthcoming list of the year’s top albums is loaded with foreboding instrumental works echoing the harrowing tenor of the times.  Yet all is not lost.  I’m quarantined with my life partner, the sun still rises every morning and the memory of January’s trip of a lifetime is fresh.  The music released by Bad Bunny in 2020 reflects everything good in my life.  And there’s a lot of it.

Three outstanding Bad Bunny albums- February’s YHLQMDLG, May’s Las Que No Iban a Salir and November’s El Último Tour Del Mundo- operated as essential sonic mood elevators.  The Puerto Rican’s delirious stylistic range extending well beyond reggaeton averted musical monotony as I managed my mental health through his music.

Bad Bunny is a goofball and his odd vocal tics may repel less forgiving pop fans.  Yet his joyous songs helped me steer clear of an emotional abyss in 2020.  Toss in a slew of excellent music videos and the year’s most exciting livestream event and Bad Bunny is the obvious choice for my artist of the year.

Honorable mention: Moor Mother, Westside Gunn, Megan Thee Stallion, Blackstarkids and Meredith Monk.

November 2020 Recap: A Monthly Exercise in Critical Transparency

Screenshot of Levi Hernandez in Bard SummerScape Opera’s production of Antonín Dvořák’s Dimitrij by There Stands the Glass.

Top Five Albums

1. William Basinski- Lamentations

Pandemic vibes.

2. Susan Alcorn Quintet- Pedernal 

My review.

3. Nick Cave- Idiot Prayer: Alone at Alexandra Palace, 2020

A troubadour for end times.

4. Raheem DeVaughn- What a Time to Be In Love

Looks like another love T.K.O.

5. Megan Thee Stallion- Good News

Who shot ya?

Top Five Songs

1. Chris Stapleton- “You Should Probably Leave”

Tempted.

2. 2 Chainz- “Wait For You to Die”

Cold hard facts.

3. Future and Lil Uzi Vert- "Marni On Me"

Fancy.

4. Jazmine Sullivan- "Pick Up Your Feelings"

Grown folks music.

5. Mariza- “Foi Deus”

Amália Rodrigues lives.

Top Five Livestreams

1. Lakecia Benjamin- Jazzfest Berlin

2. Marilyn Maye- Gem Theater

3. OneBeat Marathon (Alexander Arkincheev, Ladama, Kyungso Park, etc.)

4. Sheila Jordan’s 92nd birthday celebration- Smalls

5. The St. Cecilia Festival- Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception (Opus 76 String Quartet, Sean Holland, Paul Turner, etc.

I conducted the same exercise in October, September, August, July, June, May, April, March, February and January.