Top Ten Movies, Television Broadcasts and Streaming Programming (viewed for the first time in February, in lieu of a full resumption of live music)

1. Jeen-yuhs (2022)

My notes.

2. Donda Experience Performance (2022)

“Do I look happy to you?”

3. Nothing but a Man (1964)

Ivan Dixon and Abbey Lincoln star in an excruciating study.

4. Jeanne Dielman, 23 quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles

Hypnotic.

5. Cathie Wood interview on CNBC

A robust defense of poor performance.

6. Houston at Wichita State

Bruising double-overtime men’s basketball thriller.

7. Puccini's Madama Butterfly

Timeless heartbreak at Palau de les Arts Reina Sofía in Valencia.

8. Rosita (1923)

Mary Pickford as a Spanish street singer.

10. Super Bowl LVI Halftime Show (2022)

Forgot about Dre.

Last month’s survey is here.

William Brownlee

February 20, 2022

Almost Proud

William Brownlee

February 20, 2022

The achievement seems quaintly irrelevant now, but I once took great pride in my principal role in creating a bluegrass section in Walmart’s music department during my stint as a sales representative for independent record labels covering the central swathe of the United States during the 1990s.

My enthusiasm for the then up-and-coming Alison Krauss rubbed off on the world’s most powerful country music buyers. Recognizing that bluegrass had little in common with the likes of Garth Brooks and Tim McGraw, we formulated a plan to carve out precious shelf space for the high, lonesome sound.

Walmart being Walmart, the initiative involved a significant outlay of marketing dollars, the creation of new lines of budget CDs and buckets of my own blood, sweat and tears. Del McCoury bailed me out at an extremely perilous moment.

I’d arranged to have McCoury and his band perform at a Walmart convention. I was ecstatic that my pitch for the bluegrass initiative would be bolstered by the presence of the legend. My elation turned to horror on the morning of the event.

I was told that rather than making a single presentation to a large group as planned, I would need to do the same song-and-dance for several breakout panels throughout the day. I was compelled to beg McCoury and his band to rearrange their schedule accordingly. While understandably displeased, the musicians conceded to my request.

This recollection is prompted by Almost Proud, the outlandishly excellent new album by The Del McCoury Band. Now 83, McCoury sounds as fit as a fiddle on the drinking song “Brown Paper Bag” and dispenses hard-earned wisdom on the title track.

Alas, there’s no longer several feet of bluegrass-dedicated shelf space to rack albums like Almost Proud at Walmart. Yet while it lasted, my McCoury-abetted bluegrass endeavor enhanced my profile and led to a few life-changing paydays. I’ll always be indebted to the man.

William Brownlee

February 18, 2022

Somebody Please Say Grace

William Brownlee

February 18, 2022

Original image by There Stands the Glass.

Flabbergasted by the Scarface scene in the first episode of the new jeen-yuhs documentary, I foolishly turned to Twitter seeking context concerning the meeting of the rugged rapper and Kanye West. What was I thinking! Toxic commentary on the social media platform reminded me of the depraved priorities of the much of the general public. I’m only vaguely aware of Ye’s ongoing personal drama. What’s more, I can’t be troubled with such things. My interest in the brilliant artist’s family business is limited to my unconditional appreciation of "Family Business".

William Brownlee

February 14, 2022

Late Night Confession

William Brownlee

February 14, 2022

I’m often exhausted as midnight draws near on Thursdays. Weariness sometimes primes me for a sublime experience. When circumstances and the release schedule of ECM Records allow the luxury, I lie in bed with headphones and surrender to a new album by the famed German kompanie. Vermillion, a gorgeous recording featuring Kit Downes (piano), Petter Eldh (bass) and James Meddren (drums), serenaded me last week. I found myself concentrating on a cymbal placed in a remote corner of the sonic expanse as I nodded off. The distinctive ECM sound is among my favorite natural intoxicants.

William Brownlee

February 7, 2022

The Kahil El'Zabar Quartet- A Time for Healing

William Brownlee

February 7, 2022

A track titled “Eddie Harris” is positioned midway through A Time for Healing, the latest release by the percussionist and bandleader Kahil El'Zabar. The self-described “improvised soul” veteran grunts and grooves his way through the celebratory tribute to the soul-jazz star. El’Zabar pursues more strictly spiritual inclinations on most tracks. Abetted by the saxophonist Isaiah Collier, trumpeter Corey Wilkes and keyboardist Justin Dillard (each man also plays supplemental percussion), El’Zabar devises a curative form of the ancient-to-the-future formulation he shares with Chicago artists ranging from Roscoe Mitchell to Angel Bat Dawid. As with Nala Sinephro’s 2021 album Space 1.8, A Time for Healing acts as a vital prescription for empyrean and corporal sustenance.

William Brownlee

February 3, 2022

Album Review: Jóhann Jóhannsson- Blind Massage and The Shadow Play

William Brownlee

February 3, 2022

I swapped music recommendations with two young men I met at Mary Lattimore’s wondrous recital at the Lied Center seven weeks ago. Their tastes leaned toward abrasive underground electronica. They probably share my appreciation for Iceboy Violet’s stunning new mixtape.

After eagerly adding their suggestions to my queue, I tipped them to Jóhann Jóhannsson, the late Icelandic composer who has provided me with countless hours of inspiration. Jóhannsson’s expansive catalog grew 70 minutes longer last week when a pair of original motion picture soundtracks he created with Jonas Colstrup for Chinese films became available on streaming services.

Jóhannsson’s contribution to the 2014 film Blind Massage (推拿) falls somewhere between the indolent ambience of Harold Budd and the melodic brilliance of Nino Rota on tracks including "If There Is an Afterlife". The ominously abrasive "Midnight Highway" typifies the sound of the very different score for 2018’s The Shadow Play (风中有朵雨做的云).

Given the infrequency of concerts by prominent new music artists in the region, I don’t expect to see my acquaintances until William Basinsky performs in Lawrence in October. My cultish adoration of the composer won’t be diminished even if they’ve opted to dismiss Jóhannsson as a soporific shill.

William Brownlee

February 1, 2022

EP Review: Iceboy Violet- The Vanity Project

William Brownlee

February 1, 2022

Call it kismet. I’d spent a couple days immersed in the inside-out realms of Houston chopped-and-screwed remixes and Kingston dub versions when Quietus alerted me to Iceboy Violet. The Manchester artist’s The Vanity Project violently mashes grime and metallic electronica into a radioactive alloy. The toxicity of Iceboy Violet’s everything-at-once sensibility is minimized by the 20-minute length of the new mixtape. Thrillingly disorienting, The Vanity Project is a startling (un)funhouse. I’m grateful the spirits of DJ Screw and Lee “Scratch” Perry serendipitously dispatched Iceboy Violet to me at precisely the right moment.

William Brownlee

January 31, 2022

January 2022 Recap: A Monthly Exercise in Critical Transparency

William Brownlee

January 31, 2022

Screenshot of the trailer of The Face of Another by There Stands the Glass.

Top Ten Albums (released in January)

1. The Weeknd- Dawn FM

My podcast analysis.

2. Andrew Cyrille, William Parker and Enrico Rava- 2 Blues for Cecil

My review.

3. Earl Sweatshirt- Sick!

My review.

4. Tony Malaby’s Sabino- The Cave of Winds

My review.

5. Silvana Estrada- Marchita

Not unlike peak k.d. lang.

6. Modern Nature- Island of Noise

Jazz-stained freak-folk.

7. Lise Davidsen and Leif Ove Andsnes- Edvard Grieg

My review.

8. John Mellencamp- Strictly a One-Eyed Jack

My review.

9. Pan Daijing- Tissues

Industrial opera.

10. FKA twigs- Caprisongs

Peculiar pop.

Top Ten Songs (released in January)

1. The Smile- "You Will Never Work in Television Again"

Static.

2. Big Boss Vette- "Heavy"

The weight.

3. Christina Aguilera- "La Reina"

I knew she had it in her.

4. Barbara Hannigan- "Youkali"

Well done Weill.

5. Che Noir- "Split the Bread"

Food for thought.

6. The Streets- "Wrong Answers Only"

“I am a God: I can turn wine into vomit.”

7. Banda Los Recoditos- "Me Siento a Todo Dar"

Drinking and dancing.

8. Love Regenerator featuring Sananda Maitreya- "Lonely"

Terence Trent D’Arby!

9. Sebastián Yatra featuring Rosario and Jorge Celedón- "Dharma"

Dance, laugh, cry.

10. Benny the Butcher and J. Cole- “Johnny P’s Caddy”

The Butcher arrives.

Top Ten Movies, Television Broadcasts and Streaming Programming (viewed for the first time in January, in lieu of live music)

1. The Face of Another/他人の顔 (1966)

Freaky Japanese psychological thriller.

2. Jeopardy! (2022)

Amy Schneider’s remarkable 40-game streak ends.

3. Handsome Serge/Le Beau Serge (1958)

Très barbare.

4. Buffalo Bills vs. Kansas City Chiefs (2022)

The NFL is made for TV.

5. Mary Lou Williams and Carline Ray- At Les Mouches (1978)

My associated review.

6. The Lost Daughter (2021)

Grief in Greece.

7. The Royal College of Music’s Die Zauberflöte (2021)

My review.

8. The Catered Affair (1956)

Ernest Borgnine, Bette Davis and Gore Vidal.

9. Winter JazzFest (2022)

A handful of the virtual performances are stunning.

10. From Vienna: The New Year's Celebration 2022

Life goal.

Links to previous monthly surveys begin here.

William Brownlee

January 26, 2022

Album Review: Andrew Cyrille, William Parker and Enrico Rava- 2 Blues for Cecil

William Brownlee

January 26, 2022

Forgoing live music as part of an interminable effort to avoid the virus hasn’t been all bad. I’ve hunkered down with books in recent weeks. Many of the biographies and novels I spend hours reading every evening conclude with end-of-life reflections about lessons learned and meanings gleaned.

Similar ruminations dominate 2 Blues for Cecil. A trio of avant-garde elders- drummer Andrew Cyrille, 82, bassist William Parker, 70, and trumpeter Enrico Rava, 82- brood over the legacy of the late iconoclast Cecil Taylor on the album recorded 11 months ago in Paris.

More than a meditation on loss, 2 Blues for Cecil is a profound exploration of the essence of time and space. Yet tracks like "Ballerina" don’t function as background music. Reading is impossible even during the most serene moments of the riveting 2 Blues for Cecil.

William Brownlee

January 23, 2022

Album Review: John Mellencamp- Strictly a One-Eyed Jack

William Brownlee

January 23, 2022

I worked at a newsstand for a couple years in the 1980s. Between reading the merchandise and silently judging customers’ purchases, there was a lot to like about the minimum wage job. John Mellencamp was one of the most famous people I rang up. The heartland rock heavyweight was characteristically aloof.

Even though I was a Bruce Springsteen guy, I recognized that Mellencamp’s misanthropic songs were more representative of the people I knew and the place I called home. Springsteen appears on three tracks of Mellencamp’s astounding new album Strictly a One-Eyed Jack. The hard-knock tone is matched by Mellencamp’s smoke-ravaged voice. Strictly a One-Eyed Jack often sounds as if Tom Waits is covering Mellencamp’s superlative 1987 album The Lonesome Jubilee.

I shouldn’t be surprised to find myself admiring a Mellencamp album in 2022. The cynic’s advanced age finally matches his lifelong sensibility. I feel much the same way about myself. It’s simply stating the obvious to reveal that Mellencamp purchased a pack of cigarettes during our brief encounter 35 years ago.