February 2025 Recap: A Monthly Exercise in Critical Transparency

Screenshot of the trailer for La Monnaie’s production of Richard Wagner’s Götterdämmerung by 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.

3. Maruja- Tír na nÓg
My review.

4. Kelela- In The Blue Light
Radiant.

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.

October 2022 Recap: A Monthly Exercise in Critical Transparency

Screenshot of the trailer of Opera North’s reworking of Monteverdi’s “L’Orfeo” by There Stands the Glass.

Top Ten Albums of October

1. Natalia Lafourcade- De Todas las Flores

Rapturous beauty.

2. Bobby Watson- Back Home in Kansas City

My review.

3. Brian Harnetty- Words and Silences

My review.

4. Dave Douglas- Songs of Ascent: Book 1- Degrees

Advanced harmolodics.

5. Boston Modern Orchestra Project- Anthony Davis: X: The Life and Times of Malcolm X

A new rendering of the neglected opera.

6. Anat Cohen- Quartetinho

Exquisite chamber jazz.

7. Evgueni Galperine- Theory of Becoming

A Ukrainian Morricone.

8. Armani Caesar- The Liz 2

The month’s best Griselda album.

9. Babyface- Girl’s Night Out

Sultry collaborations.

10. Caroline Shaw and I Giardini- The Wheel

I prefer this hushed recording to the widely praised The Blue Hour.

Top Ten Songs of October

1. Plains- "Hurricane"

Leveled.

2. Grupo Marca Registrada and Luis R. Conriquez- "Puro Campeón"

A true champion.

3. iLe- "Lo Que Yo Quería"

Celestial pop.

4. Ozuna featuring El Cherry Scom- "Perreo y Dembow"

Dizzying.

5. Quavo and Takeoff- "Two Infinity Links"

I’m 250 pages into Joe Coscarelli’s Rap Capital.

6. Jamila Woods- "Boundaries"

Blurred lines.

7. LF System- "Hungry (For Love)"

Famished on the dance floor.

8. SleazyWorld Go featuring G Herbo- “Glitches”

Shots fired.

9. Nardo Wick featuring Polo G- "G Nikes"

If the shoe fits…

10. Hardy- "Truck Bed"

Hick-hop goes pop-punk.

Top Ten Performances of October

1. Marin Alsop and Orchestra Sinfônica do Estado de São Paulo at Helzberg Hall

My review.

2. Ohma and FKJ at the Midland Theater

My review.

3. Raven Chacon’s “American Ledger no. 1” at Agnes Arts

My review.

4. Lyle Lovett and John Hiatt at the Uptown Theater

My review.

5. Terence Blanchard with Turtle Island Quartet at Atkins Auditorium

My review.

6. Alter Destiny at Charlotte Street Foundation

My review.

7. Karen Hsiao Savage, Hyeyung Sol Yoon and Gregory Beaver at White Recital Hall

My review.

8. Stan Kessler, Rod Fleeman and Bob Bowman at a driveway concert

Three of Kansas City’s best on a glorious fall afternoon.

9. Esthesis Quartet at the Blue Room

My Instagram clip.

10. Alex Mallett and Jeff Harshbarger at Market at Meadowbrook

Folklore.

Last month’s survey is here.

January 2021 Recap: A Monthly Exercise in Critical Transparency

Screenshot of Gilette Barbier in Lourdes by There Stands the Glass.

Top Ten Albums

1. Alexander Hawkins- Togetherness Music

My review.

2. Patricia Brennan- Maquishti

Concussed.

3. R.A.P. Ferreira- Bob’s Son

My review.

4. Miguel Zenón and Luis Perdomo- El Arte Del Bolero

My review.

5. Behzod Abduraimov- Debussy Chopin Mussorgsky

My review.

6. Caroline Shaw- Narrow Sea

Experimental gospel.

7. Sleaford Mods- Spare Ribs

My review.

8. Estelle Revaz and the Geneva Chamber Orchestra- Journey to Geneva

Startling interpretations of compositions by Frank Martin and Xavier Dayer.

9. Rich The Factor- Mobbligated

Straight off Kansas City’s grimiest assembly line.

10. Shame- Drunk Tank Pink

Queasy.

Top Ten Songs

1. Anavitória- "Terra"

Brazilian wall of sound.

2. Selena Gomez- "De Una Vez"

The pop star shares my affection for Bad Bunny.

3. Morgan Wallen- "Quittin' Time"

Remember Clint Black? Morgan Wallen does.

4. Chai- "Action"

“It’s going to be ok.”

5. Saweetie and Doja Cat- "Best Friend"

Cruisin’.

6. Flee Lord, Eto and Westside Gunn- "Ain't Hit Nobody"

Knockout.

7. Julien Baker- "Hardline"

Darkness, darkness.

8. Olivia Rodrigo- “Drivers License”

Teen spirit.

9. Rhye- "Come In Closer"

Sade sounds better than ever.

10. Anuel AA and Ozuna- "La Maria"

Rap it soft and it’s almost like praying.

Top Ten Films

1. Lourdes (2009)

Dogma and disability in France.

2. Say Amen, Somebody (1982)

Anointed! My new all-time favorite music documentary.

3. Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (2020)

Superb rendering of August Wilson’s estimable play.

4. The Little Foxes (1941)

Superb rendering of Lillian Hellman’s estimable play.

5. Fitzcarraldo (1982)

A wondrous shipwreck.

6. Gräns (2018)

Uninhibited Swedish fairytale.

7. The Blues Accordin’ to Lightnin’ Hopkins (1967)

Mojo workin’.

8. Little Joe (2019)

Cautionary fable about GMOs.

9. Jazz on a Summer’s Day (1959)

Incredibly, I’d seen only excerpts.

10. The Falcon and the Snowman (1985)

Drugs, treason and the NSA.

Links to previous installations of my monthly recap series begin here.