January Recap

Top Five Performances
1. Riyaaz Qawwali- Cathedral of Saint John the Divine
My review.
2. Al Foster- Smoke Jazz & Supper Club
My review.
3. Kane Brown- Silverstein Eye Centers Arena
My review.
4. The Metropolitan Opera’s “‘Iolanta’ and ‘Bluebeard’s Castle’”- The Metropolitan Opera House at Lincoln Center
Bucket list.
5. Ben Tervort’s Classically Trained- Westport Coffee House
My review.

Top Five Albums
1. Toro y Moi- Outer Peace
A homeopathic remedy for seasonal affective order.
2. Future- Future Hndrxx Presents: The Wizrd
Purple haze.
3. Joe Lovano- Trio Tapestry
Melancholy improvisations with Marilyn Crispell and Carmen Castaldi.
4. Larry Ochs, Nels Cline and Gerald Cleaver- What Is To Be Done
Groovy skronk.
5. Kassa Overall- Go Get Ice Cream and Listen to Jazz
Everything at once.

Top Five Songs
1. Lacy Cavalier- “André”
A Nashville ditty about living large on the cheap.
2. Fidlar- “By Myself”
Alcohol is awesome.
3. Ibibio Sound Machine- “Tell Me (Doko Mien)”
Disco inferno.
4. Billie Eilish- “When I Was Older”
Muy triste.
5. Mark Ronson and Miley Cyrus- “Nothing Breaks Like a Broken Heart” (acoustic version)
High camp.


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I write weekly concert previews for The Kansas City Star and Ink.

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Oliver Mtukudzi has died.  I haven’t given the Zimbabwean much consideration in recent years, but I spent many blissful hours listening to his soothing music in the 1990s.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

Concert Review: Riyaaz Qawwali at the Cathedral of Saint John the Divine

My first Qawwali concert experience couldn’t have taken place in a more auspicious setting.  I took in a transcendent performance by Riyaaz Qawwali at the Cathedral of Saint John the Divine on Saturday, January 19.  About two-thirds of the audience of approximately 500 were Desi, but their responses to the devotional Sufi music weren’t uniform.  Some closed their eyes and assumed solemn postures of prayer.  Others stood and gesticulated wildly.  The boldest move, however, consisted of cavorting to the front of the stage and flinging money at the musicians with dramatic flourishes.  Overwhelmed by the swirling echoes in the world’s largest cathedral, I was sympathetic to all three delirious reactions.  Sonny K. Mehta, the leader of the Texas based group, humbly suggested that Riyaaz Qawwali was simply striving to honor the tradition established by Qawwali greats such as Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan.  Had the group been any better, I might have died of excessive beatitude.


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I shared my thoughts on Al Foster’s 75th birthday party at the New York City jazz club at Plastic Sax.

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I write weekly concert previews for The Kansas City Star.

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Michel Legrand has died.

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Toro y Moi’s insistently uplifting Outer Peace sounded amazing in the subterranean Harlem rental I occupied during my trip to New York City.  Here’s “Freelance”.

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I don’t know if I’ve gone soft or if James Blake has simply veered into territory that’s more appealing to me, but Assume Form is easily my favorite album by the art-pop innovator.  Here’s “Here’s the Catch”.

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The Motet’s Death or Devotion is an outstanding homage to funky R&B acts like Tower of Power and Bobby Caldwell.  Here’s “Highly Compatible”.

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Skronk doesn’t get much groovier than What Is To Be Done, an invigorating collaboration between saxophonist Larry Ochs, guitarist Nels Cline and drummer Gerald Cleaver.

(Original image captured shortly after the conclusion of Riyaaz Qawwali’s concert by There Stands the Glass.)

Sign of the Times

Like a full-fledged creep, I examined a stack of confiscated homemade signs near one of the entrances of Silverstein Eye Centers Arena last night.  The children and teens who created the fan art must have been devastated upon learning that the symbols of their devotion wouldn’t be seen by the headliner Kane Brown.  Friends and colleagues have long asked me how I suffer through concerts by mainstream country artists, facile pop stars and over-the-hill rockers.  I respond to their queries with indignant disbelief.  Seeing joy on the faces of fans and hearing their unreserved screams of appreciation never fails to thrill me.  I unreservedly adored last night’s concert by Brown, Granger Smith and Lacy Cavalier.  I reviewed the show for The Kansas City Star.

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I write weekly concert previews for The Kansas City Star.

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I’m not quite sure how or why, but I’ve always been aware of Carol Channing.  She died earlier this week.

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Lorna Doom of the punk band Germs has died.

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My ongoing appreciation of Future’s druggy, vulgar materialism shames me.  Even so, I'm willing to confess that I’ve already derived enormous pleasure from the new release Future Hndrxx Presents: The Wizrd.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

Joseph Jarman, 1937-2019

I’ve coveted the 21-CD box set collecting the works of the Art Ensemble of Chicago and affiliated ECM Records projects since its release six weeks ago.  I own physical copies of just a handful of the titles, but catching the group twice in the early 1980s transformed me from a curious listener to a fully committed jazz enthusiast.  The inability or unwillingness of subsequent jazz-oriented acts to attempt similar sorts of outlandish showmanship and surprising improvisations is an ongoing letdown.  The late Lester Bowie commanded most of the attention, but Joseph Jarman was one of the group’s most vital members.  The saxophonist died last week.


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I created an audio profile of the Kansas City producer and engineer Justin Wilson for KCUR.

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I reviewed a performance by Ben Tervort, Matt Otto and Brian Steever at Plastic Sax.

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I write weekly concert previews for The Kansas City Star.

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Trombonist Urbie Green died on New Year’s Eve.

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I adore Liz Brasher.  It’s a drag to report that her debut album Painted Image consists of warmed-over soul.  RIYL: (forgettable) Shelby Lynne, disappointment, (generic) James Hunter.

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Chris Potter, James Francies, Eric Harland and Linley Marthe?  Oh man.  Circuits will be released on February 22.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

Album Review: David and Tamela Mann- Us Against the World

I took objected as I spotted people clowning on David and Tamela Mann’s new album (and book) Us Against the World.  The couple’s suggestion that the album is intended to serve as a sensual soundtrack for Christian couples struck some wags as hysterical.  I can only assume these heathens are unfamiliar with Sam Cooke, Aretha Franklin and Al Green.

The explicitness of a lot of contemporary R&B eradicates its appeal.  For instance, Trey Songz’s two repulsively graphic 2018 albums 11 and 28 make me queasy.  I’m entirely on board with the gospel-based Manns making grown-and-sexy soul.  Besides, I’m a longtime fan.

Unfortunately, Us Against the World is merely adequate.   Babyface and Toni Braxton’s like-minded 2014 collaboration Love, Marriage & Divorce and Womack & Womack’s 1988 classic Conscience are far more effective.  Even so, Us Against the World songs including “Feels Like” are refreshing examinations of marital grace.


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I touted the music of Logan Richardson, Cardi B and Kanye West on a “Best Music of 2018” program on KCUR’s Up To Date two days ago.

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I write weekly concert previews for The Kansas City Star.

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Ray Sawyer of Dr. Hook & the Medicine Show has died.  “Sylvia’s Mother” and “The Cover of ‘Rolling Stone’” were among very few radio hits my dad and I both enjoyed.

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Pegi Young has died.

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The versatile lyricist Norman Gimbel has died.

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My childhood loathing of Captain and Tennille may have been my first brush with music criticism.  Even as a credulous child, that zippity doo-dah offended my sensibilities.  Daryl Dragon has died.

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Howard Begle, the “legal eagle” who helped Big Joe Turner and Ruth Brown obtain back royalties, has died.  (Tip via BGO.)

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Honey Lantree of the Honeycombs has died.  Here’s “Have I the Right?”.  (Tip via BGO.)

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

Concert Review: The Isley Brothers, the Whispers and Glenn Jones at Municipal Auditorium

The woman working at the box office of Municipal Auditorium on Sunday initially refused to sell me a ticket to the the New Year’s Weekend Soul Fest.  “You want to go to this?” she marveled as she pointed at a sign indicating that a concert by the Isley Brothers, the Whispers and Glenn Jones was about to begin.  Moments after convincing the woman to accept $40 in exchange for the least expensive ticket, I was accosted by a security guard who skeptically looked me up and down before asking to inspect my hard-won ticket. “Huh,” she muttered. “Well, have fun.”

Their bewilderment may have been warranted.  I was one of only a handful of white guys in the audience of about 4,000.  The extreme racial disparity blows my mind.  The Isley Brothers are one of the most important bands of the past 60 years.  I grew up on Top 40 hits like “It’s Your Thing,” “That Lady,” “Summer Breeze” and “Fight the Power”.  Not only would there be no Rick James, Prince or even Maroon 5 without the Isley Brothers, the Rolling Stones began their losing effort to catch up to the Isley Brothers with the 1976 album Black and Blue.

A twelve-member ensemble backed front man Ronald Isley and guitarist Ernie Isley in a stellar 90-minute headlining set that included rock and roll, doo-wop, pop, R&B, funk, gospel and gangsta rap.  The sound was mediocre, the production was rudimentary and 77-year-old Ronald leaned against a stool for much of the show, but witnessing the man who co-wrote the 1959 hit “Shout” perform the ancient nugget is still thrilling.  A rendition of the absolutely bananas 2011 hit “Contagious” was just as fun.  And yes, Ernie still shreds.

The Whispers’ 40-minute effort was almost as good.  I expected the 10-piece group to play crossover hits such as “And the Beat Goes On” and “Rock Steady,” but the venerable group surprisingly revived a few wildly anachronistic jams like “Olivia (Lost and Turned Out)”.  Introduced as “The Ambassador of Love, crooner Glenn Jones excelled in a karaoke-style 30-minute opening set that also delighted me.  The staff working the event may not have felt that I fit in, but I would rather have been nowhere else.

Isley Brothers setlist: Fight the Power, That Lady, Between the Sheets Footsteps in the Dark/Today Was a Good Day, Smooth Sailing/Sweet Thing, It’s Your Thing, Twist and Shout, Boney Maroney, Groove With You, Hello, Hello It’s Me, Choosey Lover, Joy and Pain, Jesus Loves Me, For the Love of You, Voyage to Atlantis, Summer Breeze, Down Low, Contagious, Shout

Whispers setlist: It’s a Love Thing, Keep On Lovin’ Me, In the Mood, Seems Like I Gotta Do Wrong, In the Raw, Lady, Rock Steady, Olivia (Lost and Turned Out), Say Yes, And the Beat Goes On

Glenn Jones setlist: We’ve Only Just Begun, The Very First Time, A Song For You, Love By Design, Show Me Nobody But You


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I reviewed Steve Cardenas’ homecoming concert at Black Dolphin for Plastic Sax.

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I write weekly concert previews for The Kansas City Star.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

White Noise

In my extremely limited experience with mind-altering substances, I’ve found that the most rewarding intoxicants allow the user to gain fresh perspectives on familiar topics.  Remaining completely in control while entering a slightly divergent dimension is my idea of a good high.  The remixed version of the Beatles’ White Album offers such an experience.  Even though I’ve been as sober as a judge as I’ve scrutinized the project since its release last month, the tweaks made to the 50-year-old classic make me lightheaded.  It’s the same… but wondrously different.  The dozens of alternate takes and demos that follow the remix induce slightly less potent forms of delirium.


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I reviewed Harry Connick’s delightful concert at the Midland theater for The Kansas City Star.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

Mopping Up

As an obsessive-compulsive music consumer, I’m frantically attempting to enter the new year without an imposing backlog of unheard music from 2018.  A cursory survey of the most rewarding components of my recent cramming sessions follows.  And yes, the albums are ranked.

Lionel Loueke- The Journey
One of the most important musicians alive turns down the volume and slows the tempo. 
RIYL: Weather Report, offhanded brilliance, Steps Ahead.

Marianne Faithfull- Negative Capability
Not exactly the feel-good album of the year. 
RIYL: looking death in the eye, Leonard Cohen, the bitter truth.

Cupcakke- Ephorize
The rapper’s extremely raunchy- and undeniably hilarious raps- make me blush.
RIYL: Cardi B, The Joy of Sex, Leikeli47.

F*cked Up- Dose Your Dreams
The investment in the 88-minute concept album pays off.
RIYL: George Orwell, Titus Andronicus, Pete Townshend.

Miguel Zenón- Yo Soy La Tradición
Undiluted genius or indulgent puffery?  It’s probably both. 
RIYL: Anthony Braxton, third stream, Rudresh Mahanthappa.

Phonte- No News Is Good News
Mature and nuanced rap.
RIYL: Black Thought, a man without a market, Oddisee.

Jeff Tweedy- Warm
I have nothing but respect for Tweedy. 
RIYL: Fred Neil, real life, Will Oldham.

Khruangbin- Con Todo El Mundo
Mildly diverting lounge music. 
RIYL: Friends of Dean Martinez, the first rehearsal of a Malo cover band, Calexico.

Dem Atlas- Bad Actress
Often overbearing emo-rap.
RIYL: Atmosphere, rappers who want to rock, Grieves.

Joan Shelley- Rivers and Vessels
Another outstanding young troubadour.
RIYL: Sandy Denny, 1970s folk, I’m With Her.

Meek Mill- Championships
There’s a reason the Philadelphian is more celebrated for his travails than for his rapping.
RIYL: corny guys, French Montana, excellent guest features and production.


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I list my favorite jazz albums and performances of 2018 at the Kansas City jazz blog Plastic Sax.

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I write weekly concert previews for The Kansas City Star.

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The elegant vocalist Nancy Wilson has died. 

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Galt MacDermot, the composer of “Hair,” has died.  (Tip via BGO.)

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Many of my colleagues don’t want to hear it, but Champagne Campaign is one of the most popular rock bands in Kansas City.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

Here in BFE

Many of my friends and neighbors are committed to propagating the narrative that our town is an overlooked cosmopolitan utopia.  My social media feeds are regularly clogged with links to clickbait stories hyping Kansas City as a bastion of sophistication.  The desperate boosterism of my peers makes them look like self-conscious hayseeds. 

I don’t attempt to hide the dirt under my fingernails.  I’m just as comfortable in the empty plains of central Kansas as I am in a Kansas City jazz club.  That’s why I regret omitting an earworm that reflects my roots from my year-end list only because it was released in November of 2017.  Not only does Morgan Wallen’s “Up Down” hit home, it’s an indelible anthem for flyover country.  (Sadly, the video misses the point.) 

A pair of clips I posted to Instagram this year reflect the cold, hard facts about my town.  I was in the front row for a headlining concert by the Vijay Iyer Sextet at the Open Spaces festival.  Only a few dozen people were in the room.  Open Spaces presentations by Lonnie Holley and Bang On a Can also resembled private salon concerts.  The bacchanal atmosphere I documented amid a massive throng at a Kenny Chesney concert at Arrowhead Stadium demonstrates what actually flies in Kansas City. 

As Waller insists in “Up Down,” “we got what we got, we don't need the rest.”  And that’s good enough for me here in BFE.


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My most recent concert previews for The Kansas City Star are here and here.

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I reviewed a new album by Greg Carroll and Michael Pagán at Plastic Sax.

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Pete Shelley of the Buzzcocks has died.  Singles Going Steady turned my world upside down in 1980.  I last saw the band perform at Warped Tour in 2006.

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The Memphis saxophonist Ace Cannon has died.  (Tip via BGO.)

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The Chicago bluesman Jody Williams has died.

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The jazz musician and actor Roger Burton has died.  (Tip via BGO.)

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

If You Know You Know: The Top Albums, EPs, Songs and Concerts of 2018

The Top 50 Albums of 2018
The 131-minutes of byzantine jazz improvisations that crown my rankings is a reflection of the middling year for long-form recordings.  The real action takes place on the subsequent listing of EPs.

1. Dave Holland- Uncharted Territories
2. Kendrick Lamar, The Weeknd & SZA- Black Panther: The Album
3. Ambrose Akinmusire- Origami Harvest
4. St. Vincent- MassEducation
5. Rhye- Blood
6. Drake- Scorpion
7. Logan Richardson- Blues People
8. Cardi B- Invasion of Privacy
9. Fatoumata Diawara- Fenfo
10. RP Boo- I’ll Tell You What!

11. Migos- Culture II
12. Cécile McLorin Salvant- The Window
13. Eddie Palmieri- Full Circle
14. Brockhampton- Iridescence
15. Bettye LaVette- Things Have Changed
16. Four Fists- 6666
17. Hailu Mergia- Lnala Belu
18. Leikeli47- Acrylic
19. Blood Orange- Negro Swan
20. Ashley Monroe- Sparrow

21. Anderson Paak- Oxnard
22. Ariana Grande- Sweetener
23. Tyshawn Sorey- Pillars
24. Kelly Hunt- Even the Sparrow
25. Vincent Peirani- Night Walker
26. Rosalía- El Mal Querer
27. Bixiga 70- Quebra Cabeça
28. Brad Mehldau- After Bach
29. Courtney Barnett- Tell Me How You Really Feel
30. Stephonne Singleton- Caged Bird Sings Songs About Red Beard

31. Sons of Kemet- Your Queen Is a Reptile
32. Halestorm- Vicious
33. Jupiter & Okwess- Kin Sonic
34. Rodney Crowell- Acoustic Classics
35. Elza Soares- Deus É Mulher
36. Hélène Grimaud- Memory
37. Fantastic Negrito- Please Don’t Be Dead
38. Nicole Mitchell- Maroon Cloud
39. Jorja Smith- Lost & Found
40. Lonnie Holley- Mith

41. Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats- Tearing at the Seams
42. Andrew Cyrille- Lebroba
43. Santigold- I Don’t Want: The Gold Fire Sessions
44. Noname- Room 25
45. Sly & Robbie and Nils Petter Molvaer- Nordub
46. Ben Miller Band- Choke Cherry Tree
47. Rich the Factor- CEO of the Blacktop
48. Matthew Shipp- Zero
49. Anja Lechner and Pablo Márquez- Schubert: Die Nacht
50. Kamasi Washington- Heaven and Earth


The Top 25 EPs of 2018
Kanye West insists that these short-form recordings are albums.  He's wrong.

1. Kids See Ghosts- Kids See Ghosts (23 minutes)
2. Pusha T- Daytona (21 minutes)
3. Nas- Nasir (25 minutes)
3. Radiant Children- Tryin’ (17 minutes)
4. Tigran Hamasyan- For Gyumri (29 minutes)
5. Black Thought- Streams of Thought, Vol. 1 (17 minutes)
6. Peter Schlamb- Electric Tinks (24 minutes)
7. Nubya Garcia- When We Are (25 minutes)
8. Vince Staples- FM! (22 minutes)
9. Open Mike Eagle- What Happens When I Try To Relax (19 minutes)
10. Kanye West- Ye (23 minutes)

11. Valee- Good Job, You Found Me (14 minutes)
12. The Alchemist- Bread (25 minutes)
13. 2 Chainz- The Play Don’t Care Who Makes It (16 minutes)
14. Miles Davis- Rubberband EP (26 minutes)
15. Gilberto Gil- Pela Internet 2 (24 minutes)
16. Earl Sweatshirt- Some Rap Songs (24 minutes)
17. Chanté Moore- 1 of 4 (19 minutes)
18. Teyana Taylor- K.T.S.E. (22 minutes)
19. Soulive- Cinematics Vol. 1 (18 minutes)
20. Amber Mark- Conexão (17 minutes)

21. Diplo- California (19 minutes)
22. AlunaGeorge- Champagne Eyes (18 minutes)
23. Aphex Twin- Collapse (28 minutes)
24. Ezra Collective- Juan Pablo: The Philosopher (23 minutes)
25. Stik Figa, Ron Ron and Greg Enemy- Are The Wiz Kidz (15 minutes)


The Top 10 Reissues, Compilations and Historical Releases of 2018
Caveat: I haven’t made my way through the new version of The White Album.

1. John Coltrane- Both Directions at Once: The Lost Album
2. Prince- Piano & a Microphone 1983
3. Stax Singles, Volume 4: Rarities & the Best of the Rest
4. Gumba Fire: Bubblegum Soul & Synth Boogie in 1980s South Africa
5. Bob Dylan- More Blood, More Tracks
6. African Scream Contest Vol​.​2 - Benin 1963​-​1980
7. Miles Davis- The Final Tour: The Bootleg Series, Vol. 6
8. Uncle Walt’s Band- Those Boys From Carolina, They Sure Enough Could Sing…
9. The Dur-Dur Band- Volume 1, Volume 2 & Previously Unreleased Tracks
10. Joe Strummer- Joe Strummer 001


The Top 25 Songs of 2018
Spotify playlist

1. Drake- “Nice For What”
2. Kanye West with Partynextdoor- “Ghost Town”
3. Kids See Ghosts- “Freeee (Ghost Town, Pt. 2)”
4. Janelle Monaé- “Make Me Feel”
5. J Balvin featuring Jeon and Anitta- “Machika”
6. Sa-Roc- “Forever”
7. Nas- “Cops Shot the Kid”
8. Rosalía- “Malamente”
9. Maxwell- “We Never Saw It Coming”
10. Tracey Thorn- “Queen”

11. Pusha T- “If You Know You Know”
12. The Breeders- “Wait in the Car”
13. Christina Aguilera- “Maria”
14. Four Fists- “Joe Strummr”
15. Tech N9ne- “Don’t Nobody Want None”
16. Parquet Courts- “Almost Had to Start a Fight/In and Out of Patience”
17. Chris Dave and the Drumhedz featuring Anderson Paak- “Black Hole”
18. Jimothy Lacoste- “I Can Speak Spanish”
19. Migos- “Auto Pilot”
20. Ben Miller Band- “Akira Kurosawa”

21. Post Malone featuring Ty Dolla Sign- “Psycho”
22. The Go! Team- “All the Way Live”
23. Cardi B- “I Like It”
24. Marsha Ambrosius- “Luh Ya”
25. Doja Cat- “Mooo!”
26. Ashley McBride- “A Little Dive Bar in Dahlonega”
27. E-40, B-Legit and P-Lo- “Boy”
28. Snoop Dogg featuring Charlie Wilson- “One More Day”
29. Childish Gambino- “This Is America”
30. Mopo- “Tökkö”

31. Ariana Grande- “No Tears Left to Cry”
32. Young Fathers- “Picking You”
33. Jlin- “Carbon 12”
34. Atmosphere- “Virgo”
35. Turnstile- “Generator”
36. Orchestra Akokán- “Un Tabaco para Elegua”
37. Flatbush Zombies- “Chunky”
38. Art Brut- “Hospital!”
39. Marianne Faithfull featuring Nick Cave- “The Gypsy Faerie Queen”
40. The Nels Cline 4- “Imperfect 10”

41. Justin Timberlake with Chris Stapleton- “Say Something”
42. La Luz- “Loose Teeth”
43. Carrie Underwood- “Ghosts on the Stereo”
44. Valee featuring Pusha T- “Miami”
45. Jorja Smith- “Blue Lights”
46. The Bottle Rockets- “Highway 70 Blues”
47. Shame- “Concrete”
48. Germán Montero- “Bumper Choque”
49. The Dirty Nil- “I Don’t Want That Phone Call”
50. Willie Nelson- “Something You Get Through”


The Top 50 Concerts of 2018
All performances are in the Kansas City area unless otherwise noted.

1. Erykah Badu- Sprint Center
2. Vijay Iyer Sextet- Gem Theater (Open Spaces festival)
3. Drake- Sprint Center
4. David Byrne- Muriel Kauffman Theatre
5. Anat Cohen Tentet- Gem Theater
6. Anthony Braxton and Jacqueline Kerrod- American Turners Club (Cropped Out festival in Louisville)
7. Taylor Swift- Arrowhead Stadium
8. Bang on a Can All-Stars with the Kansas City Chorale- Folly Theater (Open Spaces festival)
9. Protomartyr- Zanzabar (Louisville)
10. Four Fists- Riot Room

11. Pink- Sprint Center
12. Lonnie Holley- Swope Park (Open Spaces festival)
13. Injury Reserve- Encore Room
14. Dave Alvin and Jimmie Dale Gilmore- Knuckleheads
15. Bill Frisell, Rudy Royston and Thomas Morgan- 1900 Building
16. Low Cut Connie- Doug Fir Lounge (Portland)
17. Maxwell- Midland theater
18. Ghost- Kansas Speedway (Rockfest)
19. Cyrille Aimée- Folly Theater
20. The Breeders- The Rave (Milwaukee)

21. Flatbush Zombies- Providence Medical Center Amphitheater (Flyover festival)
22. Ryan Keberle & Catharsis- Black Dolphin
23. The Lyric Opera of Kansas City’s “Rigoletto”- Muriel Kauffman Theater
24. Uriel Herman Quartet- Black Dolphin
25. Julien Baker- Vinyl Renaissance
26. Tech N9ne- West Bottoms (Boulevardia festival)
27. Future- Petco Park (Dia de los Deftones festival in San Diego)
28. Kesha- Sprint Center
29. Michael Hurley- American Turners Club (Cropped Out festival in Louisville)
30. Atmosphere- VooDoo

31. The Project H- Westport Coffee House
32. Shania Twain- Sprint Center
33. Ehud Ettun and Henrique Eisenmann- 1900 Building
34. Randy Bachman- Ameristar
35. Drive-By Truckers- The Truman
36. Los Texmaniacs with Flaco Jiménez- Westin Crown Center (KC Folk Fest)
37. Keith Urban- Sprint Center
38. Lonnie McFadden- Black Dolphin
39. Spoon- Crossroads KC (Middle of the Map festival)
40. Emancipator- Crystal Ballroom (Portland)

41. Kenny Chesney- Arrowhead Stadium
42. Vine Street Rumble- Californos
43. Courtney Barnett- Truman
44. Hermon Mehari Quintet- Gem Theater
45. Giorgio Moroder- Truman
46. Twenty One Pilots- Sprint Center
47. Chris Hillman, Roger McGuinn and Marty Stuart’s “Sweethearts of the Rodeo”- Folly Theater
48. Lucinda Williams- Starlight Theatre
49. Edison Lights- Town Center Plaza
50. Billy Joel- Kauffman Stadium

(Original image of Erykah Badu by There Stands the Glass.)

I Got a Rock

At a moment in which the world’s most lauded rock band can’t be bothered to play rock music, I suppose it’s not surprising that the form will make a poor showing in my year-end rankings.  It’s not as if I’m not trying, but I fail to be moved by most rock recordings.  The most exciting music is being made elsewhere.  A few 2018 rock releases that had yet to receive mention at There Stands the Glass are ranked in order of my preference below.

Shame- Songs of Praise
It’s taken me all year to grasp Shame’s rowdy exceptionalism.  Here’s “One Rizla”.

Art Brut- Wham! Bang! Pow! Let’s Rock Out!
Eddie Argos is still the funniest man in rock.  The cautionary “Hospital!” is among the songs that compel me to laugh out loud.

Parquet Courts- Wide Awake!
Garage rock done right.  “Almost Had to Start a Fight/In and Out of Patience” is close to perfect.

Drug Church- Cheer
I’m not embarrassed to admit that I’ve always liked Puddle of Mudd.  Drug Church combine the Kansas City band’s commercial post-grunge with the geeky mania associated with Weezer.  Here’s “Unlicensed Hall Monitor”.

Snail Mail- Lush
Lindsey Jordan is a sad sack.  I ordinarily don’t have much patience for whiners (unless I’m the one doing the fussing), but I can relate to her bad mood.  “Heat Wave” is among the songs that kinda/sorta rock.

Idles- Joy as an Act of Resistance
The breathless praise heaped on this entirely ordinary album is a classic case of embarrassing group-think.  Blood-and-thunder songs like “Colossus” are merely adequate.

Oh, and that new 1975 album?  While it has its moments, I continue to maintain that the British band sounds like One Direction in the midst of a month-long bender.


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I yacked about a few of my best-music-of-2018 selections on 90.9 The Bridge’s Eight One Sixty last week.

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I ponder Pat Metheny’s de facto boycott of Kansas City at Plastic Sax.

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I write weekly concert previews for The Kansas City Star.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

Album Review: Elvis Costello- Look Now

It’s not him, it’s me.  Many of my insightful peers insist that Elvis Costello’s Look Now is his best album in more than a decade.  While they’re probably right, I’m just not in a proper frame of mind to appreciate his baroque throwback pop.  There’s simply too much free jazz, contemporary pop, African funk, Chicago footwork and grimy hip-hop demanding my attention at the moment.  I look forward to revisiting Look Now when I’m in rocking chair mode.  RIYL: Burt Bacharach, Dionne Warwick’s greatest hits, Jimmy Webb.  Here’s “Suspect My Tears”.


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I reviewed a concert by Bob Seger and Blue Water Highway for The Kansas City Star.

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I reviewed a concert by Twenty One Pilots, Awolnation and Max Frost for The Kansas City Star.

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I write weekly concert previews for The Kansas City Star.

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I reviewed Peter Schlamb’s Electric Tinks at Plastic Sax.

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I’ll inflict my taste on unsuspecting listeners of KTGB, 90.9 The Bridge, from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday, November 27.

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The Chicago bluesman Eddie C. Campbell has died.  (Tip via BGO.)

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Patrick Mathé, the founder of New Rose and Last Call Records, has died.  (Tip via SS.)

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The British folk prosthetizer Roy Bailey has died.  (Tip via BGO.)

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Good intentions and outstanding musicianship don’t always result in worthwhile music. The heartfelt sincerity of Marcus Strickland’s People of the Sun is corny.  RIYL: Robert Glasper, disappointments, Bilal.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

Album Review: Leikeli47- Acrylic

Appreciation of laudable art is often hard won.  I almost gave up on Leikeli47’s Acrylic when references to high fashion on the eighth selection “Post That” and Greek life at H.B.C.U.s on the sixth track “Roll Call” (a knockoff of T.I.’s 2003 hit “Rubber Band Man”) irritated me the first time I played the album.  The mind-bending production compelled me to stick with Acrylic.  My perseverance paid off.  Repeated plays of the wide-ranging album revealed that the extremely bright, audaciously funny and vigorously feminist New York rapper is as wonky as Dessa, as accessible as Brandy and as deliriously unhinged as Cardi B.  Yet it’s the consistently surprising sonic textures that include pure pop, murky grime, lovely R&B and spare footwork that make Acrylic one of my favorite albums of the year, even if it took some time to get my head around it.   Here’s “Girl Blunt”.


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My review of Ernest Melton’s The Time of the Slave Is Over is at Plastic Sax.

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I write weekly concert previews for The Kansas City Star.

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Roy Clark has died.  Not only was Hee Haw a big part of my cultural education, I recall seeing a few of his albums in my dad’s collection.

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Alec Finn of De Dannan has died.  (Tip via BGO.)

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The Hawaiian slack key guitarist Cyril Pahinui has died.  (Tip via BGO.)

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Anderson Paak’s astounding Oxnard is a throwback to the Death Row era.  Paak delivers SoCal
gangsta rap with a knowing wink.  RIYL: Doggystyle, coming to terms with horrendous misogyny, The Chronic.  Here’s “Tints”.

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Even though the Rubberband EP consists of five remixes of a single Miles Davis track from a suppressed 1985 session, the repetition never becomes stale.  Context for the oddly compelling project is available here.

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The most surprising aspect of Rudy Royston’s Flatbed Buggy is that the drummer’s frequent collaborator Bill Frisell doesn’t make an appearance.  Even so, the worthy project fits squarely in the instrumental folk-jazz realm associated with the guitarist.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

Concert Review: Maxwell at the Midland Theatre

“They don’t make ‘em like they used to, but I think I make ‘em like they used to,” Marsha Ambrosius told an audience of more than 1,500 at the Midland theater as she opened for Maxwell on Wednesday.  The British star with a colossal voice specializes in recreating the sound and feel of Michael Jackson’s ballads.  (She co-wrote his 2002 smash “Butterflies.”)

Accompanied only by her keyboard and an intrusive hype man, Ambrosius ran through a handful of old favorites and excellent new material like “Luh Ya”.  I was disappointed that she entertained only 30 minutes but I was absolutely infuriated when Maxwell and his six-piece band walked off the stage after playing 90 minutes.

I expected more.

Maxwell’s 2008 concert at the Uptown Theater in Kansas City is one of the most rousing exhibitions of soul music I’ve witnessed, and I’ve attended shows by legends including James Brown, Marvin Gaye, Isaac Hayes and Prince.  My glowing memory of his 2008 appearance caused me to merely flinch when I discovered that the least expensive ticket at the door last night was $60.

I barely got my money’s worth.

I was among the majority of the people in the “cheap” seats who never stood to dance during the 32nd installment of Maxwell’s 50 Intimate Nights tour.  Anticipating transcendence, I settled for satisfaction.  The absence of a horn section was a nasty surprise, but I was gutted that the setlist didn’t include “We Never Saw It Coming”, a protest song that's the “What’s Going On” of our time.

As much as I love Maxwell’s party material like “Sumthin’ Sumthin’”, “We Never Saw It Coming” is the type of song that differentiates Maxwell from hackneyed nostalgists.  I love Maxwell partly because he’s not a corny mimic of old-time R&B.  He keeps the music vital by giving it a contemporary edge even as he honors soul’s traditions.  Sadly, Maxwell’s concert at the Midland was slightly stale.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

Album Review: Tyshawn Sorey- Pillars

Leaf blowers and Pillars are incompatible.  My plan for the daylight hours last weekend was to absorb Tyshawn Sorey’s four-hour epic while doing yard work.  The rudimentary process of gathering and bagging the deep bed of leaves that covers my yard would have allowed me to focus on the intricacies of Sorey’s new triptych.

No dice.

Equipped with blaring leaf blowers, my diligent neighbors glared at me as I made my first attempt of the season to clear my yard with a rake.  The infernal racket of their machines drowned out the hushed segments of Pillars.  I retreated indoors.  Hearing Sorey’s crucial work is far more important to me than keeping up appearances.  Although Sorey is best known in jazz circles, Pillars is in the tradition of classical-based compositions by the likes of Anthony Davis and John Cage. 

The irony of my travails: a few of the most abrasive passages of Pillars resemble the grating drone of leaf blowers.


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Recently at Plastic Sax: I reviewed OJT’s New Originals for the Green Lady and experienced an astonishing epiphany at the Kansas City debut of Kamasi Washington.

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I write weekly concert previews for The Kansas City Star.

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Unlike many jazz devotees, I don't revere Roy Hargrove.  I was nonplussed the first time I saw him at a St. Louis club in the early 1990s.  And he was a mess the last time I caught him at the 2014 edition of the 18th & Vine Jazz & Blues Festival.  When he was on, however, Hargrove was among the best artists I’ve witnessed.  I reviewed Hargrove’s band at the Folly Theater for The Kansas City Star, a show that I ranked second on a list of my favorite concerts of 2007.  Hargrove died November 2.

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The Residents’ Hardy Fox has died.

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Elle King often sings about the people who do her wrong.  She should direct her righteous fury at the knob-twiddlers responsible for the wrongheaded production of Shake the Spirit.  Much as the recordings of Fitz and the Tantrums sterilize the band’s retro-soul attack, Shake the Spirit is rendered lifeless by a sound field that makes her Wanda Jackson-esque attack sound like Pat Boone.  Here’s “Shame”.

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Even though I have little patience for astrology, Nao’s pseudo-science themed Saturn captivates me.  RIYL: Janet Jackson at her weirdest, horoscopes, Frank Ocean at his most conventional.  Here’s “Make It Out Alive”.

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After Caroline, 43 minutes of delicious skronk by Jason Stein’s Locksmith Isadore, is RIYL Eric Dolphy, bass clarinet, Evan Parker.

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Vince Staples’ FM! mixtape is disappointing.  Here’s “Fun!”.

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A commendable album is hiding underneath multiple layers of sticky varnish on Carrie Underwood’s Cry Pretty.  Here’s “Love Wins”.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

The Top Ten Albums of 2018 by Kansas City Musicians

Musicians associated with Kansas City released dozens of albums in 2018.  A few of the most prominent projects aren’t included here.  Rather than acting as a barometer of parochial groupthink, my list contains the ten albums with the most artistic merit.

1. Logan Richardson- Blues People

2. Kelly Hunt- Even the Sparrow

3. Stephonne- Caged Bird Sings Songs About Red Beard

4. Rich the Factor- CEO of the Blacktop,  CEO of the Blacktop 2 and CEO of the Blacktop 3

5. Janelle Monáe- Dirty Computer

6. The Project H- Everyday, Forever

7. Chen Yi- Concertos for String Instruments

8. Stephen Martin- Vision

9. Tech N9ne- Planet

10. Calvin Arsenia- Cantaloupe

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

Concert Review: Dia de los Deftones at Petco Park

I’ve limited myself to a single live music event during my second honeymoon in San Diego.  But man, what a show!  Dia de los Deftones, a festival curated by hometown heroes Deftones, was held just beyond the outfield of Petco Park and spilled over into a street adjacent to the baseball stadium on Saturday, November 3.

Complications with a rideshare caused me to miss the opening act Vowws, but Vein’s ferocious attack on the secondary stage made me feel a lot better about skipping the 2018 edition of Warped Tour.  The cool kids insisting that Vein is one of rock’s best hopes may be right.  Ho99o9, an industrial rock/rap trio in the style of Death Grips and Injury Reserve, was even better.  Failing to get hurt after getting swept into the mosh pit a couple times confirmed my sense that I’m living the life of Riley.

I’ve never managed to get into Rocket From the Crypt.  The veteran San Diego band received a cold shoulder from Deftones fans who shared my indifference.  I felt sorry for Mike Shinoda.  Not only did the music of the cofounder of Linkin Park ironically resemble second-rate Twenty One Pilots, his tribute to his late bandmate Chester Bennington was a major buzzkill.

The set by Future was easily the best effort I’ve witnessed by the rap superstar.  He’s floundered the past couple times I’ve seen him but Future did his best to engage the audience of approximately 5,000.  Unlike Future, Doja Cat didn’t have any baggage to overcome.  The immensely likable Cardi B knockoff gamely delivered her risque material including the hilarious novelty hit "Mooo!".

I had so much fun bouncing between the two stages for six hours that I forgot to eat.  Unfortunately, I remembered to down three Belching Beaver lagers introduced at the festival.  Overcome by a sudden wave of hunger when Deftones hit the main stage, I couldn’t enjoy its headlining appearance.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

Jazz Revisionism

When she burst onto the international jazz scene a decade ago, I hailed Esperanza Spalding as The One, a bold, charismatic and visionary artist capable of reversing the flagging fortunes of the form.  Bad call.  Not only is much of Spalding’s work removed from jazz these days, her new album 12 Little Spells is one of the most noxious releases by a critically acclaimed artist in years.  12 Little Spells is so aggressively awful that tracks like “Readying to Rise” resemble parodies of frequently self-indulgent acts like Weather Report, Frank Zappa and King Crimson.  The only song on 12 Little Spells worth revisiting is “Touch in Mine”.

In a much more pleasant reassessment, I’ve come around to Cécile McLorin Salvant.  I long thought the hype surrounding the vocalist was unwarranted.  The critical darling struck me as fey, mannered and slight.  Just as my commendation of Spalding proved to be wishful thinking, I reckoned Salvant’s backers desperately needed her to be something she wasn’t.  The Window changed my mind.  Accompanied only by the spectacular keyboardist Sullivan Fortner on all but one song on the lovely album, Salvant shows that she likely merits a place in the pantheon of the most notable jazz and cabaret talents.


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Tony Joe White has died.  “Polk Salad Annie” and “Rainy Night in Georgia” were essential components of the soundtrack of my childhood.

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Wah Wah Watson, a guitarist for the likes of Marvin Gaye and Maxwell, has died.

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Saxophonist Sonny Fortune has died.

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The Indian musician Annapurna Devi has died.

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I think I’m going to meet my maker every time I travel between Kansas City and St. Louis.  The Bottle Rockets document the white-knuckle experience on “Highway 70 Blues,” the second track on their new album Bit Logic.  The plaint includes this truism: “if you’re in a hurry to cross Missouri, things might not go as planned.”

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Although he wasn’t on the bill, the Louisville bard Will Oldham was the most famous person I encountered at the Cropped Out festival earlier this month.  Oldham’s new solo acoustic set Songs of Love and Horror is RIYL Tom Rush, exposed nerves, Eric Anderson.

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James Francies sounds like Robert Glasper’s little brother on his Blue Note debut Flight.

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Corporate rock sometimes hits the spot.  I freely admit that I enjoy Myles Kennedy’s Year of the Tiger.  RIYL: Chris Cornell, proficiency, Scott Weiland.  Here’s the title track.

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Wolfgang Muthspiel’s Where the River Goes is fine, but I was expecting so much more from the all-star collaboration.  The Austrian guitarist is accompanied by trumpeter Ambrose Akinmusire, pianist Brad Mehldau, bassist Larry Grenadier and drummer Eric Harland on a project that doesn't fulfill its promise.

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The Dirty Nil’s Master Volume is a masterful evocation of rock bands ranging from Thin Lizzy to Wavves.  Here’s “That's What Heaven Feels Like”.

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Román Filiú’s stellar Quarteria is RIYL Miguel Zenón, Cuban jazz, Henry Threadgill.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

Look How Wrong You Can Be: Rod Stewart at the Sprint Center

It seems ridiculous at this late date, but I once cared about Rod Stewart so much that I held a grudge against the star.  Even though I was a punk enthusiast in the late ‘70s, I still loved early Stewart albums like Every Picture Tells a Story.  I took his artistic change of direction exemplified by "Da Ya Think I'm Sexy?" as a personal affront.  I stopped caring about Stewart altogether twenty years ago.

My date and I regretted our impulsive purchase of $32 tickets as we drove to the Sprint Center last Tuesday, but Stewart immediately won us over.  Whether he was belting out classics like “Maggie May” or dodgy material like “Infatuation,” the preposterous antics of the unabashed ham were charming.  I didn’t hesitate to enthusiastically sing along to "Da Ya Think I'm Sexy?"

An older woman seated in front of us googled “Rod Stewart age” in an oversize font on her undimmed phone.  Her curiosity was understandable.  The lusty vigor displayed by Stewart, 73, is genuinely sexy.  I smiled the entire show.  Had he been able to see into the future, my 18-year-old self would have been mortified.  I never liked that kid much anyway.


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I opted to post my review of Erykah Badu’s memorable concert at the Sprint Center at Plastic Sax.

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I write weekly concert previews for The Kansas City Star.

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Pilfered from my Twitter account: Joe Strummer lives! After raving about the combat rock of 6666 in a blog post on Tuesday, I paid $17 to catch Four Fists at the Riot Room last night.  I felt as if I was listening to the Clash’s Sandinista! for the first time.  The footage I posted to Instagram amuses me.

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I’m looking forward to an imminent beach vacation.  Quebra Cabeça, the fourth album by the Brazilian Afro-funk band Bixiga 70, will likely provide the core of the sunny but slightly sinister soundtrack to my downtime.  Here’s the title track.

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Not every selection on Atmosphere’s Mi Vida Local hits home, but Slug’s musings on subjects like parenting and Ant’s discerning beats reveal a promising path forward for aging hip-hop artists.  RIYL: feeling Minnesota, Jay-Z’s 4:44, middle age.

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Open Mike Eagle’s What Happens When I Try To Relax is scathing standup comedy set to astonishing music.  RIYL: Shabazz Palaces, punchlines, Dave Chappelle.

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Ubiquitous’s new four-song EP has several good moments.  Here’s “What If?”.

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I’ve never understood why jazz artists continue to allow producers and engineers to intentionally make their albums sound as if they were recorded in 1956.  The rich sound field of Aaron Parks' Little Big demonstrates the virtues of embracing the fact that it’s 2018.  RIYL: Pat Metheny Group, volume, Brad Mehldau Trio.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

Combat Rock: Joe Strummer and Four Fists

Strummer 001, a recently released two-hour compilation of Joe Strummer rarities, confirms what I’d already knew.  The man who died in 2002 did his best work with the Clash.  Even so, hearing Strummer working out new ideas before and after his contributions to the seminal band is fascinating.  I hadn’t heard half of the 32 punk, folk, pub-rock and reggae tracks on Strummer 001.  The previously unissued selections make it clear that Strummer was striving to become a modern-day Woody Guthrie.  He succeeded.

Four Fists’ 6666, a collaboration between underground hip-hop luminaries P.O.S and Astronautalis, is a de facto tribute to Strummer.  Not only is the sixth selection titled “Joe Strummr,” the opening track “Nobody’s Biz” references the Clash’s “White Riot.”  The snippet of a Strummer interview that opens “Unjinxed” highlights Four Fists’ embrace of Strummer’s mandate to create protest music.

With the exception of the title track of Four Fist’s album and a version of Strummer’s garage-band classic “Keys To Your Heart,” all of 6666 is better than anything on 001.  The vitality of Four Fists’ fusion of rap, rock and electronic music honors Strummer’s legacy.  The only thing P.O.S and Astronautalis get wrong is their lament that “Joe Strummer has been dead for too damn long.”  Strummer lives in 6666.


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I reviewed Ed Sheeran’s concert at Arrowhead Stadium.

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My most recent concert previews for The Kansas City Star are here and here.

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I reviewed performances by the Vijay Iyer Sextet at the Gem Theater and Ramsey Lewis and Urban Knights at the Folly Theater for Plastic Sax.

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Jazz saxophonist Hamiet Bluiett has died.

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The opera star Montserrat Caballé has died.

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The experimental musician Takehisa Kosugi has died.

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Angela Maria has died.  My fellow music obsessives will appreciate this documentary about the Brazilian star.

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Ambrose Akinmusire’s Origami Harvest has replaced Kanye West as the subject of the most heated music-related altercations I'm having with my family and friends.  Not everyone shares my enthusiasm for the probable album-of-the-year.

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Zinc City is a fever dream in which saxophonist David Binney and pianist Manuel Engel give free reign to their most psychotic impulses.  RIYL: Karl Stockhausen, nightmares, John Cage.

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The avant-garde bluegrass of Nathan Bowles’ Plainly Mistaken occasionally sounds like a mashup of Earl Scruggs and Philip Glass.

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Spider Bags’ scuzzy Someday Everything Will Be Fine is my kind of rock and roll album.  RIYL: Tav Falco, stage-diving into the abyss, Deer Tick.  Here’s “Oxcart Blues”.

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Lovely or fussy?  Artful genius or pretentious twaddle?  Past his prime or a lion in winter?  I won’t argue with either set of assessments of Paul Simon’s In the Blue Light. 

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Donny McCaslin’s concert at the Folly Theater in 2017 was transcendent because the saxophonist’s trio played jazz with the energy, volume and showmanship of a rock band.  McCaslin loses the plot on Blow, a rock album that resembles a forgettable solo venture by a David Bowie sideman.  RIYL: Adrian Belew, miscalculations, Reeves Gabrels.

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Prodded by a pal, I reluctantly listened to the Midnight’s Kids, a nostalgic love letter to mid-’80s suburban America in which synth-pop and video games were ascendent.  RIYL: Howard Jones, synth-wave, Yazoo.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)