Dierks Bentley

March 2025 Recap: A Monthly Exercise in Critical Transparency

Screenshot of the trailer for the Royal Opera’s production of Charles Gounod’s Faust by There Stands the Glass.

The Top Ten Albums of March 2025
1. Vijay Iyer and Leo Wadada Smith- Defiant Life
Resistance.

2. Sylvie Courvoisier and Mary Halvorson- Bone Bells
“What tale of terror, now, their turbulency tells.”

3. Destroyer- Dan’s Boogie
Regrettably, I know just what he means.

4. Nels Cline- Consentrik Quartet
My review.

5. clipping.- Dead Channel Sky
Overcast.

6. Anouar Brahem- After the Last Sky
Light in darkness.

7. Jan Lisiecki- Preludes by Chopin, Bach, Rachmaninoff, Messiaen, Górecki
All killer, no filler.

8. Bob James and Dave Koz- Just Us
My review.

9. Slim Thug and Propain- Double Cup
Still tippin’.

10. Stik Figa and DJ Sean P- A Small Fortune
Buried treasure.


The Top Three Reissues, Repackagings and Reimaginings of March 2025
1. Art Pepper- Geneva 1980
Late-career fire.

2. Neil Young- Oceanside Countryside
Previously unreleased 1977 album.

3. Branford Marsalis Quartet- Belonging
A replication of Keith Jarrett’s 1974 album.


The Top Ten Songs of March 2025
1. Nathy Peluso- “Erotika”
Salsa. 

2. PremRock featuring Cavalier and Elucid- “A Good Man Is Hard to Find”
Bad guys.

3. Billy Woods and Kenny Segal- “Misery”
Muck and mire.

4. feeble little horse- “This Is Real”
Debaser.

5. Mackenzie Carpenter- “Gone Fishing”
Hook, line and sinker.

6. Maren Morris- “Carry Me Through”
Self help.

7. Black Country, New Road- “Happy Birthday”
Fourpenny opera.

8. Dierks Bentley featuring Stephen Wilson Jr.- "Cold Beer Can"
Pop a top.

9. Little Simz- "Free"
Priceless.

10. TheBabeGabe and The Human featuring Monogram- "1999"
They were dreaming when they wrote this.


The Top Ten Performances of March 2025
1. Robyn Hitchcock and Emma Swift at Knuckleheads
My review.

2. Branford Marsalis Quartet at the Folly Theater
My review.

3. Dead Heat, Stakes Is High, Failure Drill and Honey at Howdy
My Instagram clip.

4. Leonidas Kavakos and Danil Trifonov at the Folly Theater
My Instagram snapshot.

5. Leonkoro at the 1900 Building
My Instagram snapshot.

6. Bram and Lucy Wijnands and the Kansas City Jazz Orchestra at the Folly Theater
My review.

7. Thomas Dunford at Grace and Holy Trinity Cathedral
My Instagram snapshot.

8. The Lyric Opera of Kansas City’s “Becoming a Redwood: The Songs of Lori Laitman and Dana Gioia” at St. Mary’s Episcopal Church
My Instagram snapshot.

9. Dawson Jones at Green Lady Lounge
My review.

10. The Lyric Opera’s “Cruzar la Cara de la Luna” with Mariachi los Camperos at Muriel Kauffman Theatre
My review.


The previous monthly recap is here.

February 2023 Recap: A Monthly Exercise in Critical Transparency

Screenshot of the trailer of Detroit Opera’s production of Charles Gounod’s “Faust” by There Stands the Glass.

Top Ten Albums of February

1. Young Fathers- Heavy Heavy

Crushed.

2. Christian McBride’s New Jawn- Prime

A1.

3. James Brandon Lewis- Eye of I

All seeing.

4. Ten City- Love Is Love

Disco revival, part one.

5. Karol G- Mañana Será Bonito

Tomorrow will be pretty.

6. Don Toliver- Love Sick

Grown and sexy.

7. Lisel- Patterns for Auto-Tuned Voices and Delay

A.I. soundtrack.

8. Gorillaz- Cracker Island

Stranded.

9. Kelela- Raven

In flight.

10. The Necks- Travel

Hear the world.


Top Ten Songs of February

1. Kelsea Ballerini- "Leave Me Again"

Alone.

2. Fuerza Regida and Becky G- "Te Quiero Besar"

Kisses.

3. Joe Louis Walker- "Don’t Walk Out That Door"

Let’s stay together.

4. Jessie Ware- "Pearls"

Disco revival, part two.

5. Hitkidd featuring Aleza, Gloss Up, Slimeroni and K Carbon- "You the Type"

Old-school fun.

6. Yeat featuring YoungBoy Never Broke Again- "Shmunk"

Kids these days.

7. Lonnie Holley featuring Moor Mother- "I Am a Part of the Wonder"

Old souls.

8. Dierks Bentley- “Heartbreak Drinking Tour”

The night life ain’t no good life.

9. The Men- “Peace of Mind”

Stooges stew.

10. Talibando featuring BabyTron- "Make the Money"

Paid in full.

Top Ten Performances of February

1. UMKC Conservatory’s “Proving Up” at Spencer Theater

My review.

2. Hermon Mehari Quartet at the Folly Theater

My review.

3. Jake Blount at the Folk Alliance International Conference:

My review.

4. Bobby Weir and the Wolf Bros at Louisville Palace

My review.

5. Verónica Valerio at the Folk Alliance International Conference

My Instagram clip.

6. Kentucky Opera’s “Cinderella” at W.L. Lyons Brown Theatre

My Instagram snapshot.

7. Voices of Mississippi at Polsky Theatre

My review.

8. Jack Wright with Ron Stabinsky at Charlotte Street Foundation

My Instagram clip.

9. Talibah Safiya at the Folk Alliance International Conference:

My Instagram snapshot.

10. NAVO Trio at Polsky Theatre

My Instagram snapshot.



The previous monthly survey is here.