There Stands the Glass

The Top Ten Albums of February 2025
1. James Brandon Lewis- Apple Cores
Golden delicious.

2. John Glacier- Like a Ribbon
Knotty.

5. Larry June, 2 Chainz and the Alchemist- Life Is Beautiful
It’s also quite funny.

6. María Dueñas- 24 Caprices by Paganini
Fiddle.

7. Frieder Bernius und the Kammerchor Stuttgart- Louis Spohr: Des Heilands letzte Stunden, Passionsoratorium
A post-Bach Passion.

8. Oren Ambarchi and Eric Thielemans- Kind Regards
A farewell trip.

9. Horsegirl- Phonetics On and On
My review.

10. Damon Locks- List of Demands
Urgent.

The Top Three Reissues, Repackagings and Reimaginings of February 2025
1. Strata-East: The Legacy Begins
A pivotal digital holdout relents.

2. Joe Ely- Love and Freedom
Previously unreleased gems.

3. Ella Fitzgerald- The Moment of Truth: Ella at the Coliseum
Energetic 1967 concert.

The Top Ten Songs of February 2025
1. Mekons- "War Economy"
Moral deficit.

2. Mackenzie Carpenter featuring Midland- "I Wish You Would"
Back to the barrooms.

3. Natti Natasha featuring Ozuna- “Ya No Comparto”
Not sharing.

4. J Noa and Lowlight- "Traficando Rap"
Atención!

5. The Popper featuring Tech N9ne, KStylis and Zaytoven- "Dumb Booty"
Landmark that!

6. Terrace Martin featuring Ogi- "Not Sharing"
Sound of Crenshaw.

7. Gucci Mane- "Preference"
Choice.

8. Saya Gray- “Thus Is Why (I Don’t Spring 4 Love)”
Perfect pop (4 2025).

9. Lonnie Holley- "That's Not Art, That's Not Music"
People tell me this all too often.

10. Okanski- "October"
Bewitching.

The Top Ten Performances of February 2025
1. The Gesualdo Six at Village Presbyterian Church
My Instagram clip.

2. Nikolai Lugansky at the Folly Theater
My Instagram snapshot.

3. Isaiah Collier at the Old Church (Portland)
My review.

4. Deborah Brown and George Colligan at Upcycle Piano Craft
My Instagram clip.

5. David Finckel and Wu Han at the Old Church (Portland)
My Instagram snapshot.

6. Sarah Ghazal Ali at Arrupe Hall
My Instagram snapshot.

7. Aaron Sizemore, Forest Stewart and Mike Warren at the Music House
My Instagram clip.

8. Made in France at the Market at Meadowbrook
My Instagram clip.

9. Josiah Austin at the Portland International Airport
My Instagram clip.

10. Cesar Rosas and the Chi-Town Playboys at the Folly Theater
My review.

The previous monthly recap is here.

Original image by There Stands the Glass.

Sixteen-year-old Harmony Zhu displayed disarming poise and unlimited potential at the Folly Theater on Sunday, November 13. The same couldn’t be said for dozens of members of the audience of more than 500 at the Harriman-Jewell Series' free Discovery Concert.

Cacophonous clatter occasionally overwhelmed the pianist’s recital. Babies babbled. Toddlers yammered. Children rolled metal drink canisters on the floor, tossed programs and played with the springs in creaky theater seats. Minors weren’t the only offenders. A few older people hacked and wheezed as if they were in their death throes.

Zhu rose above the tumult as she played four Frédéric Chopin compositions as well as selections by Claude Debussy, Sergei Rachmaninoff and Nikolai Kapustin. Her affinity for Chopin’s deliciously morbid laments is unexpected in a bright young talent who has probably never misbehaved in a concert hall.

February 2025 Recap: A Monthly Exercise in Critical Transparency

Concert Review: Harmony Zhu at the Folly Theater