Kaitlin Butts

June 2024 Recap: A Monthly Exercise in Critical Transparency

Screenshot of the trailer for Opéra national de Paris’ production of Gaspare Spontini’s La Vestale by There Stands the Glass.

The Top Ten Albums of June
1. Bilal- Live at Glasshaus
With Common, Robert Glasper, Burniss Travis and Questlove.

2. Linda Thompson- Proxy Music
There Stands the Glass review.

3. Nduduzo Makhathini- uNomkhubulwane
South African spiritual jazz.

4. Kaitlin Butts- Roadrunner!
Oklahoma!

5. Marsha Ambrosius- Casablanco
A chaotic pileup of jazz, hip-hop and R&B.

6. William Parker- Heart Trio
With Cooper-Moore and Hamid Drake.

7. Tarbaby- You Think This America
Orrin Evans, Eric Revis and Nasheet Waits.

8. Rod Fleeman- Live at Green Lady Lounge, Volume 3
Plastic Sax review.

9. Charli XCX- Brat: and it’s the same but there’s three more songs so it’s not
Impudent pop.

10. Peso Pluma- Éxodo
Extravagant excess.


The Top Ten Songs of June
1. Staples Jr. Singers- "I've Got a Feeling"
A good old feeling.

2. Menahan Street Band- "Tropical Man (TV Mix)"
My song of the summer.

3. Spice- "2085 Tea"
“Look back pon tings.”

4. Heems featuring Vijay Iyer and Sid Vashi- "Manto"
Partition blues.

5. Kaytranda featuring Channel Tres- "Drip Sweat"
Steam bath.

6. Nikka Costa- “Dance ‘N Forget”
She would die 4 U.

7. Leigh-Anne- "Nature"
U.K. pop reggae.

8. Val Fleury- "Technically"
Facts.

9. 42 Dugg featuring Sexyy Red- "N.P.O."
Ha ha!

10. Silverada- "Doing It Right"
She’s actin’ single, he’s drinkin’ doubles.


The Top Ten Performances of June
1. Makaya McCraven at Liberty Hall
Plastic Sax review.

2. Nick Shoulders at Third Place Lounge
There Stands the Glass review.

3. Flatland Cavalry at Grinders KC
Instagram clip.

4. Adam Larson at the Blue Room
Plastic Sax review.

5. Lionel Richie and Earth, Wind & Fire at the T-Mobile Center
There Stands the Glass review.

6. Yo-Yo Ma at Parade Park
Instagram clip..

7. Deanna Ray Eberhart at Ward Parkway Presbyterian Church
Instagram clip.

8. Galaxxu and the Extemporaneous Music and Arts Society at Charlotte Street Foundation
Instagram clip.

9. Rod Fleeman at Green Lady Lounge
Instagram clip.

10. Yo-Yo Ma, Joel Thompson and Ralph Yarl at Helzberg Hall
Instagram snapshot.



The previous monthly recap is here.

April 2022 Recap: A Monthly Exercise in Critical Transparency

Screenshot from the trailer of the Metropolitan Opera’s staging of Terence Blanchard’s “Fire Shut Up in My Bones” by There Stands the Glass. PBS broadcast the opera on April 1.

Top Ten Albums (Released in April, excluding 4/29 titles)

1. Pusha T- It’s Almost Dry

The trio of Kanye, Pharrell and King Push is an unbeatable dream team.

2. Gerald Clayton- Bells on Sand

My review.

3. Billy Woods- Aethiopes

Highbrow hip-hop.

4. Tord Gustavsen Trio- Opening

My review.

5. Myra Melford- For the Love of Fire and Water

The pianist leads a free jazz supergroup.

6. Joel Ross- The Parable of the Poet

Palpably spiritual jazz.

7. Mitsuko Uchida- Beethoven: Diabelli Variations

My review.

8. Sault- Air

My review.

9. Cole Swindell- Stereotype

My review.

10. Vince Staples- Ramona Park Broke My Heart

Understated excellence.


Top Ten Songs (Released in April)

1. Miranda Lambert- "Actin' Up"

Call the cops.

2. Kaitlin Butts- "She's Using"

Codeine dreams.

3. Christian Nodal- "Aguardiente"

Poison.

4. Bonnie Raitt- "Love So Strong"

Kombucha for the soul.

5. Horace Andy- "Watch Over Them"

Reggae lion in winter.

6. Anitta featuring Chencho Corleone- "Gata"

The cat’s pajamas.

7. Young M.A.- “Tip the Surgeon”

Bloody.

8. Doechii- "Crazy"

Time to get right with God.

9. Lele Pons and Kim Loaiza- "Piketona"

Clubbed.

10. Making Movies- "Sala de los Pecadores"

Den of sin.


Top Ten Performances of April

1. Joyce DiDonato at the Folly Theater

My review.

2. Daniil Trifonov at the Folly Theater

My review.

3. Drew Williams, Ben Tervort and Brian Steever at Westport Coffee House

My review.

4. Babehoven at Farewell

My Instagram clip.

5. Kwan Leung Ling, Evan Verploegh and Ben Baker at Charlotte Street Foundation

My Instagram clip.

6. Ducks Ltd. at the Green House

My Instagram clip.

7. Maul at Vivo

My Instagram clip.

8. Tyrone Clark, Charles Gatschet and Taylor Babb- Green Lady Lounge

The venue’s all-originals policy is paying off.

9. Jeff Harshbarger Quartet at the Blue Room

Standards deviations.

10. A Pile of Dead Horses at 7th Heaven

Fargo noise.



Last month’s survey is here.