May 2024 Recap: A Monthly Exercise in Critical Transparency

Screenshot of the trailer for Welsh National Opera’s production of Giacomo Puccini’s “Il trittico” by There Stands the Glass.

The Top Ten Albums of May

1. Brad Mehldau- After Bach II
Variations.

2. Sexyy Red- In Sexyy We Trust
Dazzling party album #1.

3. Grupo Frontera- Jugando a Que No Pasa Nada
Dazzling party album #2.

4. Sisso and Maiko- Singeli Ya Maajabu
My review.

5. Vince Staples- Dark Times
Gloom.

6. Mdou Moctar- Funeral for Justice
My review.

7. Borderlands Trio- Rewilder
Feral improv.

8. André Schuen- Schubert: Winterreise
Harrowing lieders.

9. Jessica Pratt- Here in the Pitch
Far-out freak-folk.

10. Childish Gambino- Atavista
Everybody’s working for The Weeknd.

The Top Ten Songs of May

1. Carly Pearce- "Fault Line"
(Un)happy hour.

2. Amyl and The Sniffers- "U Should Not Be Doing That"
Can’t stop.

3. Yahritza y Su Esencia featuring Michelle Maciel- “Nivel Dios”
Quite possibly the best band in America.

4. Nduduzo Makhathini- "Water Spirits: Izinkonjana"
Dolphin dance.

5. Kendrick Lamar- "euphoria"
King Kendrick is back.

6. Chief Keef featuring Lil Gnar- "Jesus"
Show me the way.

7. Beres Hammond- "Let Me Help You"
Sweet relief.

8. La Luz- "Always in Love"
Forever.

9. Yaya Bey- "iloveyoufrankiebeverly"
Before I let go.

10. Randy Travis- "Where That Came From"
Digging up bones.

The Top Ten Performances of May

1. Kate Kalina at Southminster Presbyterian Church
My Instagram clip.

2. Jeffrey Osborne at Ameristar Casino
My Instagram clip.

3. Alber’s “Born at Sea” at Charlotte Street Foundation
My Instagram snapshot.

4. Steve Cardenas, Forest Stewart and Brian Steever at Westport Coffee House
My review.

5. Alon Goldstein’s “Schumann and His World” at White Recital Hall
My Instagram snapshot.

6. Nick Luby and Susan Zhang at Meadowbrook Park
My review.

7. Bachathon XLV at Grace and Holy Trinity Cathedral
My Instagram snapshot.

8. The Kansas City Symphony’s Mobile Music Box at Meadowbrook Park
My Instagram clip.

9. Jackie Myers, Matt Otto and Bob Bowman at Market at Meadowbrook
My Instagram snapshot.

10. Heidi Shea at St. John’s United Methodist Church
My Instagram clip.

The previous monthly recap is here.

Count Me Out

Shocked by the wretchedness of the latest release by the world’s most important rapper, I’ve returned to Kendrick Lamar’s Mr. Morales & the Big Steppers every few weeks since its release in May. It gets worse with each listen. Uninspired, self-pitying and vainglorious, Lamar all but acknowledges the album is a compulsory product rather than a meaningful artistic statement. Watching the corresponding concert video verified my impression. I long for a return to the brilliance Lamar displayed in the previous decade.

I'm Down with O.P.P. (Other Peoples' Pulitzers)

Original image of Raven Chacon and Paul Rudy by There Stands the Glass.

For the second time in the last 24 days I’ve attended a performance of a work by a recipient of the Pulitzer Prize for Music in the presence of the composer.  On Wednesday, October 26, Raven Chacon, the winner of the 2022 Pulitzer, heard what he estimated was the tenth reading of his “American Ledger no. 1” at Agnes Arts.

I was torn between laughing in appreciative wonder and crying with profound grief in response to the unconventional composition addressing the gradual dispossession of the continent from Native Americans.  An enormous copy of the graphic sheet music allowed the audience of about 150 to follow along with a ten-piece ensemble conducted by Paul Rudy.

With a couple accomplished locally based jazz musicians in the group conducted by Paul Rudy, the composition occasionally contained elements of swing absence from an excellent rendering of “American Ledger no. 1” in Houston.  Here’s my brief but representative video clip from Agnes Arts.

Earlier this month I marveled at sitting near 2011 Pulitzer recipient Zhou Long as his “Spirit of Chimes” was performed at a lightly attended concert in Kansas City.  There weren’t many more people at a 2018 performance of Julia Wolfe’s Pulitzer-winning “Anthracite Fields” at the Folly Theater.  And yes, Wolfe was in the house.

I’ve attended performances by four additional Pulitzer recipients: Ornette Coleman (2007 award), Kendrick Lamar (2018), Wynton Marsalis (1997) and Caroline Shaw (2013).  Designations give the often esoteric winners prestige they might otherwise not receive, but no one needed validation from Pulitzer voters to recognize they were in the presence of greatness at Agnes Arts on Wednesday.

May 2022 Recap: A Monthly Exercise in Critical Transparency

Screenshot of soprano Sara Blanch in the trailer of the Donizetti Opera Festival’s staging of Gaetano Donzetti’s La fille du régiment by There Stands the Glass.

Top Ten Albums (Released in May, excluding 5/27 titles)

1. Mary Halvorson- Belladonna

My review.

2. Ches Smith- Interpret It Well

My review.

3. Bad Bunny- Un Verano Sin Ti

Summer soundtrack sorted.

4. Leikeli47- Shape Up

Fit.

5. John Scofield- John Scofield

Sublime solo set.

6. Shabaka- Afrikan Culture

Hushed Hutchings.

7. Daniel Villarreal- Panamá 77

International Anthem indeed.

8. Mary Halvorson- Amaryllis

My review of the companion album.

9. Andris Nelsons- Strauss

My review.

10. Kendrick Lamar- Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers

The transformation of King Kendrick into Captain Obvious is a hard pill to swallow.

Top Ten Songs (released in May)

1. Charles Stepney- “Daddy’s Diddies”

My favorite sound.

2. Tank and the Bangas with Lalah Hathaway and Jacob Collier- 

“Where Do We All Go”

Fulfillingness’ second finale.

3. Becky G- "Kill Bill"

Dead.

4. Dougie B- “I’m Back”

Bumpin’ me against the wall.

5. Flee Lord with Mephux- "Out the Mud"

True grit.

6. Hollie Cook- “Happy Hour”

Red Stripe special.

7. Ty Segall- “Saturday Pt. 2”

A stroll in Itchycoo Park.

8. Belle and Sebastian- "Do It for Your Country"

Ask not.

9. Flora- "Hey"

Ya.

10. Kevin Morby- “A Coat of Butterflies”

Hallelujah.

Top Ten Performances of May (and the last weekend of April)

1. Little Joe y La Familia at the Guadalupe Center

My review.

2. Samantha Ege at the Folly Theater

My review.

3. Logan Richardson + Blues People at the Ship

My review.

4. High Pulp at the recordBar

My review.

5. Isata and Sheku Kanneh-Mason at the Folly Theater

My Instagram snapshot.

6. The Lyric Opera of Kansas City’s “Tosca” at Muriel Kauffman Theatre

My review.

7. Kind Folk at the Black Box

My Instagram clip.

8. Drew Williams, Brandon Cooper and Seth Andrew Davis at Charlotte Street Foundation

My Instagram clip.

9. Brian Scarborough Quintet at Westport Coffee House

My Instagram clip.

10. Guitar Elation at Green Lady Lounge

The dueling guitars of Brian Baggett and Danny Embrey.

Last month’s survey is here.