William Brownlee

November 24, 2024

The Top Kansas City Albums, EPs and Reissues of 2024

William Brownlee

November 24, 2024

I’m looking forward to returning to Mark Manning’s Wednesday MidDay Medley program on community radio station KKFI on Wednesday, November 27. Preparing to share music on the year-end best-of show compelled me to complete the following annual exercise. The agonizing process invariably means snubbing a few friends and elevating the art of talented antagonists in Kansas City’s various music communities. The songs I’ll feature on Wednesday MidDay Medley were selected partly for concise track lengths, clean edits and in deference to the predilections of my fellow guests.

The Top 25 Kansas City Albums of 2024

1. Blackstarkids- Saturn Dayz /Heaven on Urf
High concept.

2. Betty Bryant- Lotta Livin’
Plastic Sax review.

3. Willi Carlisle- Critterland
Feral folk.

4. SleazyWorld Go- More Than a Shooter
Shots fired.

5. Logan Richardson- The Science of Superstition
Plastic Sax review.

6. Charles McPherson- Reverence
Plastic Sax review.

7. Behzod Abduraimov- Shadows of My Ancestors
Prokofiev, Ravel and Saidaminova.

8. Danielle Nicole- The Love You Bleed
Medic!

9. Ben Allison, Steve Cardenas and Ted Nash- Tell the Birds I Said Hello: The Music of Herbie Nichols
Plastic Sax review.

10. Tech N9ne- C OSM
Collabos.

11. Matt Otto, Xose Miguélez and Abe Rábade- The Landscape Listens
Plastic Sax review.

12. Waxahatchee- Tigers Blood
Comfort food.

13. Rod Fleeman- Saturday Afternoon Live at Green Lady Lounge, Volume 3
Plastic Sax review.

14. Pat Metheny- MoonDial
Plastic Sax review.

15. Loidis- One Day
Electro-propulsion.

16. Scott Dean Taylor and Seth Andrew Davis- Infidels
Plastic Sax review.

17. Lyric Opera of Kansas City, The Kansas City Symphony and The Lyric Opera of Kansas City Chorus- Moravec: The Shining
Redrum.

18. Sandbox Percussion- Bloom
Banging on cans.

19. Narrative Quartet featuring Adam Larson- Trust Fund Tinder Goblins Howling at the Moon
Plastic Sax review.

20. Karrin Allyson- A Kiss for Brazil
Plastic Sax review.

21. Joey Cool- Roller Coaster
Tech mime.

22. Michael Pagán- Paganova
Plastic Sax review.

23. Zachary Barthelman and Evan Verploegh- Sound/Color
Plastic Sax review.

24. Stan Kessler- Two’s Company
Plastic Sax review.

25. Alber- Born at Sea
Plastic Sax review.

The Top Ten Kansas City EPs of 2024

1. Peter Schlamb- Pliable Consciousness
Plastic Sax review.

2. Krystle Warren & The Academy- Extended Play
There Stands the Glass review.

3. Boldy James and Conductor Williams- Across the Tracks
Crazy train.

4. Midwestern- Reflections
There Stands the Glass review.

5. Conductor Williams- Conductor We Have a Problem, Pt. 3
Off the rails.

6. Burning Bush- Demo 2024
Flames of fire.

7. Jorge Arana Trio- Merciélago
Dark shadows.

8. Drew Williams- Wobble
Plastic Sax review.

9. Rich the Factor- Souped Up Sofa
KC’s the town.

10. Treanne- 20/20
Focused.

The Top Five Kansas City Reissues of 2024

1. Charlie Parker- Bird in Kansas City
Plastic Sax review.

2. Coalesce- Live at BBC’s Maida Vale Studios
Furious 2009 session.

3. The Get Up Kids- Something to Write Home About: 25th Anniversary Deluxe Edition
Red letter days.

4. Jennifer Knapp- Kansas 25
A fresh rendering of the 1998 CCM classic.

5. Kevin Mahogany- Gem Theater Live
Plastic Sax review.

Last year’s list is here.

William Brownlee

June 16, 2024

The Top Kansas City Albums and EPs of 2024 (so far)

William Brownlee

June 16, 2024

The Top Twenty Kansas City Albums of 2024 (so far)

1. Willi Carlisle- Critterland
Feral folk.

2. Betty Bryant- Lotta Livin'
Plastic Sax review.

3. Behzod Abduraimov- Shadows of My Ancestors
Prokofiev, Ravel and Saidaminova.

4. Charles McPherson- Reverence
Plastic Sax review.

5. Waxahatchee- Tigers Blood
KC.

6. Ben Allison, Steve Cardenas and Ted Nash- Tell the Birds I Said Hello: The Music of Herbie Nichols
Plastic Sax review.

7. Logan Richardson- Sacred Garden
Plastic Sax review.

8. Danielle Nicole- The Love You Bleed
KCUR's audio feature.

9. Karrin Allyson- A Kiss for Brazil
Plastic Sax review.

10. The Kansas City Symphony- Brahms: Reimagined Orchestrations
Virgil Thomson’s arrangements.

11. WireTown- Kansas City
Plastic Sax review.

12. Scott Dean Taylor and Seth Andrew Davis- Infidels
Plastic Sax review.

13. Jennifer Knapp- Kansas 25
Reworking of 1998 milestone.

14. Alber- Lento
Electro-jazz.

15. The Hearers- elevators come undone
Grandaddy-esque.

16. Brian Scarborough- We Need the Wind
Plastic Sax review.

17. Jeff Shirley- Contigo
Plastic Sax review.

18. Michael Davidson and Ellen Sommer- Skybreak
Trombone and piano.

19. Christopher Burnett- Originals
Plastic Sax review.

20. Doubledrag- Alone With Everyone
Shoegaze.

The Top Ten Kansas City EPs of 2024 (so far)

1. Midwestern- Reflections
There Stands the Glass review.

2. Burning Bush Demo 2024
Exodus.

3. Drew Williams- Wobble
Plastic Sax review.

4. Rich the Factor- Souped Up Sofa
KC’s the town.

5. Eddie Moore- Aperture: Solo Piano Works
Plastic Sax review.

6. Nate Hofer- Decommissioned
Ambient steel guitar.

7. Rich the Factor- Souped Up Sofa 2
Midwest tygoon.

7. Little Miss Dynamite- Grow Up
Firecracker folk.

9. Scott Hrabko & The Rabbits- Other Cats, Other Bags: Vol. 2
Louche troubadour.

10. The Fun Guy- From the Attic to the Underground
Garage rock.

William Brownlee

March 2, 2024

February 2024 Recap: A Monthly Exercise in Critical Transparency

William Brownlee

March 2, 2024

Screenshot of Lise Davidsen in the trailer for the Metropolitan Opera’s new production of Giuseppe Verdi’s “La forza del destino.”

The Top Ten Albums of February

1. Heems- Lafandar
My review.

2. Lee “Scratch” Perry- King Perry
My review.

3. Hera Hyesang Park- Breathe
The soprano’s imaginative song cycle.

4. Kali Malone- All Life Long
A secular service.

5. Joel Ross- nublues
Blue notes.

6. James Brandon Lewis Quartet- Transfiguration
The saxophonist with Aruán Ortiz, Brad Jones and Chad Taylor.

7. Ben Allison, Steve Cardenas and Ted Nash- Tell the Birds I Said Hello: The Music of Herbie Nichols
My review.

8. Arcangelo- Handel: Theodora
A revelatory new recording of the 1750 oratorio.

9. Vijay Iyer, Linda May Han Oh and Tyshawn Sorey- Compassion
Piano trio nonpareil.

10. DJ Harrison- Shades of Yesterday
My review.

The Top Ten Songs of February

1. Little Simz- “Mood Swings”
Schizophrenic.

2. GloRilla- “Yeah Glo!”
Glow-up.

3. Terrace Martin- “Kill Bill”
Smooth jazz revival.

4. Scott H. Biram- “Inside a Bar”
Set ‘em, Joe.

5. Sierra Ferrell- “I Could Drive You Crazy”
Insane earworm.

6. Ducks Ltd.- "On Our Way to the Rave"
Another jangle-pop miracle.

7. Thee Sinseers- “Hold On”
Little bit o’ soul.

8. Hatis Noit featuring Armand Hammer- "Jomon (Preservation Rework)"
Ancient to the future.

9. Gabito Ballesteros and Natanael Cano- "Proyecto X"
Trippy corrido tumbado.

10. Logan Richardson- “Black to the Point”
My album review.

The Top Ten Performances of February

1. Militarie Gun, Pool Kids, Spiritual Cramp and Spacing at recordBar
My review.

2. Folk Alliance International Conference, Day One (Willi Carlisle, Justin Adams and Mauro Durante, Freedy Johnston)
My review.

3. Jeremy Denk at the Folly Theater
My review.

4. Folk Alliance International Conference, Day Three (Jolie Holland, Ensemble Sangineto, Mitsune)
My review.

5. Folk Alliance International Conference, Day Two (Trond Kallevåg, Louisa Stancioff, Humbird)
My review.

6. Jackie Myers, Rich Wheeler and Jeff Harshbarger at the Market at Meadowbrook
My Instagram snapshot.

7. Desmond Mason, Angela Ward, DeAndre Manning and Jaylen Ward at the Blue Room
My Instagram clip.

8. The Kansas City Wind Symphony at Village Presbyterian Church
My Instagram snapshot.

9. Pinnacle Winds at St. Peter & All Saints Episcopal Church
My Instagram clip.

10. Mire Pral at the Market at Meadowbrook
My Instagram clip.

The previous monthly recap is here.

William Brownlee

December 4, 2022

The Top Fifty Performances of 2022

William Brownlee

December 4, 2022

Original image of Blackstarkids by There Stands the Glass.

I’ve gone out to hear live music 123 times in 2022. I’m not done yet- I plan to hit a couple gigs this evening. Even without attending a single festival, I’ve taken in more than 225 performances this year. And yes, wise guys, I’ve been the oldest person in the room at a third of the shows listed below. You can’t blame a person for trying to make up for lost time. Unless indicated otherwise, the events took place in the Kansas City area.

1. Nduduzo Makhathini at the Blue Room