Last night I told the leader of a gypsy jazz band that I sometimes wonder why I listen to anything but Django Reinhardt. Twelve hours later, I’m considering dedicating the remainder of my life to the music of Sun Ra. Basking in a new expanded reissue of the soundtrack to the 1974 film about “the other worlds they have not told you of” further enhances my appreciation of the iconoclast. Heavy and hilarious, Space Is the Place is a touchstone for much of my favorite contemporary music made by the likes of Alter Destiny, Moor Mother and Kassa Overall.

William Brownlee

May 24, 2023

Album Review: Seth Andrew Davis- Fondue Shube

William Brownlee

May 24, 2023

If the best works of art necessitate a reconsideration of commonplace elements of everyday life, Seth Andrew Davis’ new album Fondue Shube is resoundingly profound. The Kansas City musician describes the release as “Brutalist Maximalist Noise.” It took me several sessions to consume all 74 minutes of the pernicious album. The aftereffect of the deliberately disagreeable clamor is startling. The mechanical whir of a fan in my bedroom is suddenly musical. I now seek patterns in the thrum of a neighbor’s air conditioning unit. The dull roar of passing airplanes are transformed into songs with melodies. Fondue Shube may not go down easily, but it’s efficacious medicine.

William Brownlee

May 17, 2023

Concert Review: Michael Hurley and Bonnie “Prince” Billy at the Aladdin Theater

William Brownlee

May 17, 2023

Original image by There Stands the Glass.

I was momentarily startled when I spotted Will Oldham, aka Bonnie "Prince" Billy, at the 2018 edition of the Cropped Out festival. The singer-songwriter wasn’t on the bill of the sorely missed Louisville festival, but he took in a magical set by Michael Hurley on the bank of the Ohio River.

Five years later, I was once again in the presence of both men at Portland’s Aladdin Theater on Monday, May 15. I seemed to enjoy Hurley’s opening set more than any of the other 500 people in the audience.

My loud guffaws during the wildly tasteless "Ms. Petty Blues" elicited stares. A subtle environmental protest song caused tears to well in my eyes. Allusions to back doors and fresh pies were frequent.

Hurley’s wry humor invoked Furry Lewis while his devil-may-care nature caused him to resemble Mississippi John Hurt. In spite of the slightly intrusive and entirely unnecessary accompaniment of a second musician, Hurley, 81, is a dynamic force in peak form. I was bowled over.

Oldham made a gracious concession during his headlining performance: “The elephant in the room is Michael Hurley.” It takes nothing away from Oldham to acknowledge that Hurley owned the evening.

William Brownlee

May 15, 2023

Concert Review: Tim Bernardes at Mississippi Studios

William Brownlee

May 15, 2023

Jazz artists such as Eliane Elias and metal bands including Sepultura aside, I can count the number of Brazilian acts I’ve heard perform on one hand. I added Tim Bernardes to my pathetically short list on Saturday, May 13. Partly because he echoes the música popular brasileira of the 1970s, Mil Coisas Invisíveis was my #14 album of 2022. I confirmed Bernardes has the voice of an angel during the solo concert. The event was a rare opportunity for me to carouse in the presence of the Brazilians who made up the majority of the audience of about 250. Do I dare dream of seeing Gilberto Gil one day?

William Brownlee

May 11, 2023

Album Review: Roomful of Teeth- Rough Magic

William Brownlee

May 11, 2023

I still have nightmares about singing countless renditions of “The Happy Wanderer” as a member of my high school glee club. Attending a Roomful of Teeth performance at the Big Ears festival in 2019 helped me overcome my longstanding aversion to choral music. The pleasure I take in Roomful of Teeth’s Rough Magic indicates it’s now among my favorite sounds. Portions of the four compositions on the new album are as freaky as any form of avant-garde music. William Brittelle’s “Psychedelics” and Peter S. Shin’s “Bits torn from words” are appropriately titled. Caroline Shaw’s “The Isle” is based on “The Tempest.” “None More Than You,” a room-clearer by Eve Beglarian, is my favorite piece. Rough Magic is an immensely gratifying revenge of the choir nerds.

William Brownlee

May 7, 2023

Concert Review: Yujia Shen at Diastole Scholars' Center

William Brownlee

May 7, 2023

Relying solely on a speculative hunch, I attended Yujia Shen’s doctoral recital at Diastole Scholars' Center on Saturday, May 6. I was rewarded for my intuition. An appreciative party crasher, I joined a small coterie of Shen’s friends, family and representatives of the UMKC Conservatory in the magnificent facility that closely resembles my dream home.

I struggled to maintain my composure during the first and third movements of Jean-Marie Leclair’s Sonata in D Major. The profound playing of Shen and pianist Hyunah Noh provoked an outpouring of emotions I’d bottled up during a busy week. Shen and Noh balanced Leclair’s romanticism with the modernity of Sergei Prokofiev’s Sonata No. 2 in D Major in the first set.

Belatedly aware of the presence of cameras, I managed not to break down during renditions of compositions by Arvo Pärt and Robert Schumann performed by Shen and pianist Jenessa LeMmon the recital’s second half. I fear my ridiculous hysterics may have marred footage of the otherwise transcendent event.

William Brownlee

April 30, 2023

April 2023 Recap: A Monthly Exercise in Critical Transparency

William Brownlee

April 30, 2023

Screenshot of the Irish National Opera’s trailer for Werther by There Stands the Glass.

Top Ten Albums of April

1. Tilo Weber- Tesserae

My review.

2. Zsófia Boros- El último aliento

My review.

3. El Michels Affair and Black Thought- Glorious Game

Roots-y.

4. Adam Larson- With Love, From New York City

My review.

5. Tee Grizzley and Skilla Baby- Controversy

Detroit lions.

6. Thomas Adès- Dante

Hell, purgatory and paradise.

7. Danish String Quartet- Prism V

Bach, Beethoven and Webern.

8. YoungBoy Never Broke Again- Don’t Try This at Home

Untold riches.

9. Brandee Younger- Brand New Life

Starting over.

10. Kiko El Crazy- Pila’e Teteo

Dembow frenzy.

Top Ten Songs of April

1. Shirley Collins- “High and Away”

Storm’s a-brewin’.

2. Margo Price and Particle Kid- “Hands on the Wheel”

I feel like going home.

3. Smokey Robinson- "Beside You"

Cruisin’.

4. Stik Figa featuring Blu and The Expert- "Uknowhut?"

What?

5. Killer Mike featuring El-P and thankugoodsir- "Don't Let the Devil"

Nobody speak.

6. MC Yallah- "No One Seems to Bother"

The truest type of world music.

7. Thundercat and Tame Impala- "No More Lies"

Truth.

8. Armani White and A$AP Ferg- “Silver Tooth”

Novocain.

9. NLE Choppa- "Talk Different"

Money changes everything.

10. Jessie Ware- “Begin Again”

Age of Aquarius.

Top Ten Concerts of April

1. Jean-Yves Thibaudet at the Folly Theater

My Instagram photo.

2. Adam Larson, Matt Clohesy and Jimmy Macbride at Westport Coffee House

My Instagram clip.

3. Willi Carlisle and Betse & Clarke at Knuckleheads

My Instagram photo.

4. John Mellencamp at the Midland theater

My Instagram clip.

5. Drew Williams, Seth Davis and Brian Steever at Westport Coffee House

My Instagram clip.

6. Booker T. Jones at the Folly Theater

My review.

7. Joseph Genualdi at Grant Recital Hall

My Instagram photo.

8. Anne-Marie McDermott’s master class at Grant Recital Hall

My notes.

9. Thomas Lacy at Southminster Presbyterian Church

My Instagram clip.

10. Nate Nall, Matt Hopper and Joey Panella at the Market at Meadowbrook

My Instagram photo.

The previous monthly survey is here.

William Brownlee

April 29, 2023

May Flowers

William Brownlee

April 29, 2023

Original image of fans at Rockfest by There Stands the Glass.

I probably won’t attempt to navigate the mayhem in an effort to catch Thundercat’s concert at the 2023 NFL Draft this evening. The related sprawl extends the grounds of the Liberty Memorial on which I’ve attended more than a dozen festivals. I (almost) miss hearing bands like Korn at the bygone Rockfest in the shadow of the Kansas City landmark. Two miniature festivals are among May concert recommendations for KCUR.

William Brownlee

April 27, 2023

Album Review: Tilo Weber- Tesserae

William Brownlee

April 27, 2023

A harpsichord was all but inaudible at a recital I attended earlier this month. I didn’t mind. The novelty of a harpsichord on Tilo Weber’s Tesserae isn’t the most remarkable element of the new release on the Finnish label We Jazz Records either.

So many unexpected things happen on tracks like "In Epitaxy" that the oddity of the harpsichord jingling rendered by Austrian Elias Stemeseder doesn’t even register. The musicians led by the German drummer aren't playing jazz- at least not in the swinging American sense of the word. And it’s not quite European classical music either.

Much of Tesserae contains strong African accents powered by Swedish bassist Petter Eldh. I may not fully understand the intent or the methodology, but the album is an ideal encapsulation of the sounds that most appeal to me at this moment.