Screenshot of KCUR feature by There Stands the Glass.
Just three of the 17 performances I enjoyed in March were among my concert recommendations for KCUR last month. I just couldn’t bring myself to spend more than $150 for concerts by Bad Bunny and Drake. Yet I’ve invested that much for an impossibly refined event in another continent in three weeks. That’s why I’ll be in attendance at just a few of my April concert recommendations.
Instigating a cappella singalongs of Morgan Wallen’s hit “Last Night” at parties, backyard barbecues and amid crowds of strangers in public spaces was my favorite prank of 2023. It’s the song by which I’ll remember the year. Determining my favorite album wasn’t as easy. A dozen releases listed below spent time at the top of my albums list during 2023. Wallen’s One Thing at a Time might have been a contender, but I elect not to duplicate artists in these tabulations.
The Top Fifty Albums of 2023
1. Karol G- Mañana Será Bonito
2. Sebastian Rochford- A Short Diary
3. Bad Bunny- Nadie Sabe Lo Que Va a Pasar Mañana
4. Kassa Overall- Animals
5. Billy Woods and Kenny Segal- Maps
6. Jason Moran- From the Dancehall to the Battlefield
7. Grupo Frontera- El Comienzo
8. Elle King- Come Get Your Wife
9. Hilary Hahn- Eugène Ysaÿe: Six Sonatas for Solo Violin
10. JPEGMAFIA and Danny Brown- Scaring the Hoes
11. Young Fathers- Heavy Heavy
12. ANOHNI and the Johnsons- My Back Was A Bridge For You To Cross
13. Sylvie Courvoisier- Chimaera
14. Lonnie Holley- Oh Me Oh My
15. Kelela- Raven
16. Joe Lovano, Marilyn Crispell and Carmen Castaldi- Our Daily Bread
17. Buddy and Julie Miller- In the Throes
18. Matt Otto- Umbra
19. Atmosphere- Talk Talk
20. Henry Threadgill- The Other One
21. Cécile McLorin Salvant- Mélusine
22. The Art Ensemble of Chicago- The Sixth Decade: From Paris to Paris
23. Armand Hammer- We Buy Diabetic Test Strips
24.Wilco- Cousin
25. Aja Monet- when the poems do what they do
26. Killer Mike- Michael
27. Bonnie “Prince” Billy- Keeping Secrets Will Destroy You
28. Laura Schuler Quartet- Sueños Paralelos
29. The Clientele- I Am Not There Anymore
30. Irreversible Entanglements- Protect Your Light
31. Sampha- Lahai
32. Tyshawn Sorey- Continuing
33. Mike Dillon & Punkadelick- Inflorescence
34. Willie Nelson- I Don’t Know a Thing About Love: The Songs of Harlan Howard
35. Zoh Amba, Chris Corsano & Bill Orcutt- The Flower School
36. Rudy Royston’s Flatbed Buggy- Day
37. Christian McBride’s New Jawn- Prime
38. Mette Henriette- Drifting
39. Kali Malone- Does Spring Hide Its Joy
40. Johnathan Blake- Passage
41. King Krule- Space Heavy
42. The Necks- Travel
43. Ambrose Akinmusire- Beauty Is Enough
44. Cleo Sol- Gold
45. Jaimie Branch- Fly or Die Fly or Die Fly or Die ((world war))
46. Tilo Weber- Tesserae
47. Lana Del Rey- Did You Know That There’s a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd
48. El Michels Affair and Black Thought- Glorious Game
49. Ingrid Laubrock- The Last Quiet Place
50. Bertrand Chamayou- Letter(s) to Erik Satie
The Top Fifty Songs of 2023
1. Morgan Wallen- “Last Night”
2. Jamila Woods and duendita- “Tiny Garden”
3. Joshua Redman featuring Gabrielle Cavassa- “Chicago Blues”
4. L’Rain- "Pet Rock"
5. Meshell Ndegeocello featuring Brandee Younger and Julius Rodriguez- “Virgo”
6. That Mexican OT featuring Paul Wall and Drodi- “Johnny Dang”
7. Shirley Collins- “High and Away”
8. Military Gunn- “Do It Faster”
9. The Streets- “Gonna Hurt When This Is Over”
10. Danny Brown- “Tantor”
11. Austin Plaine- “Turn It Around”
12. Yahritza y Su Esencia- “Rositas”
13. SZA- “Kill Bill”
14. Jessie Ware- "Pearls"
15. 2 Chainz and Lil Wayne- "Presha"
16. Turnstile and BadBadNotGood- "Underwater Boi"
17. Stik Figa with the Expert and Blu- "Uknowhut?"
18. Lauren Watkins- "Grain of Salt"
19. Carin Leon- "Primera Cita"
20. Brent Cobb- "Devil Ain't Done"
21. Joanna Sternberg- "I Will Be With You"
22. SexyyRed- "SkeeYee"
23. Tokischa- "Candy"
24. Kali Uchis- "Te Mata"
25. Cultura Profética- "Para Mí"
26. Snoh Aalegra "Wait a Little Longer"
27. Tech N9ne and the Popper- "They Know Meh"
28. Alien Nosejob- "Split Personality"
29. Camilo and Diljit Dosanjh- "Palpita"
30. Raheem DeVaughn- "Let's Fall in Love"
31. Don Omar- "Carcelero"
32. Peso Pluma- "Bye"
33. Ice Spice- "In Ha Mood"
34. 100 gecs- "Dumbest Girl Alive"
35. Big Freedia- "Gin In My System"
36. Luke Combs- "Love You Anyway"
37. Robert Glasper featuring SiR and Alex Isley- "Back to Love"
38. esperanza spalding- "Não Ao Marco Temporal"
39. Sleaford Mods- “So Trendy”
40. Noname with $ilkmoney, Billy Woods and Stout- "gospel?"
41. Maria Elena Silva- "Love, If It Is So"
42. PJ Harvey- “I Inside the Old Year Dying”
43. Sam Hunt- "Walmart"
44. Fuerza Regida and Becky G- "Te Quiero Besar"
45. Slauson Malone 1- "New Joy"
46. Bizzy Banks- "Ok Ok Ok"
47. SleazyWorld Go- "Off the Court"
48. DJ Lucas- "The Climb"
49. Megan Moroney- "Kansas Anymore"
50. Mireya Ramos & the Poor Choices with Los Texmaniacs- "There Stands the Glass"
There Stands the Glass’ top 50 performances of 2023 are listed here.
There Stands the Glass’ top albums and songs of 2022 are listed here.
Screenshot of the trailer for a recent production of Il Signor Bruschino at Rossini at Wildbad by There Stands the Glass.
Top Ten Albums of August
1. Karol G- Mañana Será Bonito (Bichota Season)
Pop perfection.
2. Jaimie Branch- Fly Or Die Fly Or Die Fly Or Die (world war)
This ain’t no picnic.
3. Jonathan Blake- Passage
4. Bonnie “Prince” Billy- Keeping Secrets Will Destroy You
Spill the beans.
5. Grupo Frontera- El Comienzo
A celebratory debut.
6. Arnold Dreyblatt- Resolve
Classical grit.
7. Evan Parker- Etching the Ether
8. Miguel Zenón y Luis Perdomo- El Arte del Bolero, Vol. 2
Transcendent duo.
9. Bobby Rush- All My Love for You
He’s the one.
10. Ratboys- The Window
Heartland rock.
Top Ten Songs of August
1. L’Rain- “Pet Rock”
Heavy.
2. Turnstile and Badbadnotgood- “Underwater Boi”
Aqualung.
3. Noname with $ilkmoney, Billy Woods and Stout- “gospel?”
Fight song.
4. Kirk Franklin- “Try Love”
The gospel truth.
5. Armand Hammer with Elucid, Billy Woods and Pink Siifu- “Trauma Mic”
Crisis of faith.
6. Earl Sweatshirt, The Alchemist and Mike- “Sentry”
Drowsy.
7. Snoh Aalegra- “Wait a Little Longer”
Patience.
8. Doja Cat- "Paint the Town Red"
Walk on by.
9. Miguel and Lil Yachty- “Number 9”
Pet sounds.
10. EST Gee with Yo Gotti- “A Moment with Gotti”
Time stands still.
Top Ten Performances of August
1. Kassa Overall and Omari Jazz at Mississippi Studios
2. Parker Quartet at Polsky Theatre
3. Randy Porter, Tom Wakeling and Todd Strait at the 1905
4. Truth Cult, Young Mvchetes and Burning Bush at Howdy
5. The Clientele and Papercuts at Mississippi Studios
6. Culture Club, Howard Jones and Berlin at Starlight Theatre
7. The Phil Collins Experience at Barkley Square
8. Jass at Second Presbyterian Church
9. Claes Almroth Trio at Starday Tavern
10. Rich Hill Trio and True Lions at Volker Park
The previous monthly survey is here.
