March 2026 Recap: A Monthly Exercise in Critical Transparency

Screenshot of the trailer for Opéra Comique’s production of Matthias Pintscher’s “Nuit sans aube” by There Stands the Glass.

The Top Ten Albums of March 2026
1. Irreversible Entanglements- Future Present Past
Stellar vibrations.

2. Ye- Bully
All is not forgiven, but Bully is undeniably excellent.

3. Alex Isley- When the City Sleeps
Diamond life.

4. Adam O’Farrill- ELEPHANT
Big ears.

5. Sylvie Courvoisier- Éclats: Live in Europe
With Drew Gress and Kenny Wollesen.

6. Mike Will Made-It- R3SET
A cavalcade of stars.

7. Immanuel Wilkins Quartet- Live at the Village Vanguard, Vol. 1 
Ascension.

8. Dave Adewumi- The Flame Beneath the Silence 
With Joel Ross, Linda May Oh Han and Marcus Gilmore.

9. Jorge Drexler- Taracá
MPB via Uruguay.

10. Lise Davidsen- Live at the Met
A reprehensible recording of a ripping recital.

The Top Three Reissues and Reimaginings of March 2026
1. Alice Sara Ott- Jóhann Jóhannsson: Piano Works
Solo piano renderings.

2. Aerosmith- Aerosmith: Legendary Expanded Edition
The lines on his face have never been clearer.

3. Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra- Let Freedom Swing
History geeks and freedom fighters only.

The Top Ten Songs of March 2026
1. aja monet featuring Meshell Ndegeocello and Georgia Anne Muldrow- “elsewhere”
Heavenly.

2. Gabrielle Cavassa- “Angelo”
Swoonworthy.

3. Leikeli47- "Bad Guy"
Beez in the trap.

4. Jessie Ware- “Automatic”
Instinctive.

5. CA7RIEL & Paco Amoroso- “Ha Ha”
Hee haw.

6. Vince Gill- "Lonely's What I Do"
He’s gonna fill their shoes.

7. Jim Lauderdale- “We Don’t See You Anymore”
Long gone.

8. Luke Combs- “Alcohol of Fame”
There stands the glass.

9. Elucid featuring Shabaka- "Equiano"
“The Interesting Narrative of…”

10. Dry Socket- “The Chop”
Portland hardcore.

The Top Ten Performances of March 2026
Due to a transformative life event, I attended only six performances in March.

The previous monthly recap is here.

Elegant Soul

I was exposed to terrestrial radio in an Uber last week. My Eritrean driver kept time on his steering wheel as KMHD aired the impossibly groovy “Book of Slim” from Gene Harris & The Three Sounds’ aptly titled 1968 album Elegant Soul. Boy oh boy, it sounded good! While I was unfamiliar with the Blue Note Records release, it would appear that plenty of people are enjoying the orchestral merger of jazz and soul. “Book of Slim” has racked up almost seven million streams on Spotify. There was a time when I would have dismissed the sound as shameless pandering. I know better now. And speaking of missing out, get a load of KMHD’s playlist as I type these words. Portland is a magical place. I need to get my hands on a radio.

EP Review: svn4vr- herts on fire

I’m a person of faith yet I dare not proselytize. I don’t have the answers. In fact, anyone professing to know “The Truth” probably isn’t trustworthy. That’s one of the reasons I’m drawn to the music of svn4vr. The British artist asks difficult questions and confesses spiritual thirst in his gospel music. As I quipped about the zydeco artist Beau Jocque 33 years ago, svn4vr only knows one song, but it’s a good one. Most of svn4vr’s original lofi hymns sound as if they were recorded around a campfire at which firewood wasn’t the only thing emitting smoke. Forgive me for breaking my rule about not spreading the good news: the uneasy "veil" from the new EP herts on fire is a desolate ode to the mystery of faith.

Album Review: Champian Fulton- Flying High: Still Soaring, A Tribute to the Voices That Taught the World to Swing

I anticipated losing listening time due to a glorious life event. The complete shift in my taste of music was unexpected. Even assuming I had the time, the prospect of auditioning new releases by personal favorites Bruiser Wolf, Elucid, Kim Gordon, Lamb of God and Bill Orcutt holds no appeal.

The latest from Champian Fulton, however, is precisely what works for me in this magical moment. I’ve long appreciated the Oklahoma native’s throwback jazz, but readers of Plastic Sax and There Stands the Glass know I prefer dirty, gritty and noisy forms of jazz.

Fulton shares the spotlight with notable vocalists including Carmen Bradford and Jane Monheit on Flying High: Still Soaring, A Tribute to the Voices That Taught the World to Swing. The album is free of the experimental edginess I ordinarily relish. For the time being, I want nothing but the sort of frictionless flight provided by Fulton and her friends.

Concert Review: Omar Sosa, Seckou Keita and Gustavo Ovalles at The Old Church

Original image by There Stands the Glass.

A celebrated trio of Cuban, Senegalese and Venezuelan musicians made the right music at the perfect time at The Old Church on Thursday, March 12. I shuttled to the venue in downtown Portland from an expectant situation at a hospital.

Performing joyous music intended to provide devotional uplift and sensual stimulation, Omar Sosa, Seckou Keita and Gustavo Ovalles fortified me with courage and positivity for almost two hours. I paid $35 to join the near-capacity audience of about 250 to hear the ensemble also known as SUBA Trio.

The blend of Afro-Cuban funk, spiritual jazz and West African roots music was bolstered by uncommon showmanship. Crowd-pleasing antics were balanced by Ovalles’ righteous rhythms, Sosa’s spectacular jazz chops and Keita’s kora mastery and heavenly voice. The latter element intertwined with my fervent prayers.

Hearing Double

Original image by There Stands the Glass.

I’m holding a ticket for tonight’s double-bill of Jeff Parker and SML at Revolution Hall. I’ve seen Parker with Tortoise and in other contexts, but I’ve never seen the guitarist perform as a leader. I’m especially giddy about catching the opening act SML for the first time.

The tandem compelled me to reminisce about five enticing double bills I’ve experienced. I’ve limited the following list to well-known artists. Bills with more than two acts and festivals were also disqualified.

• B.B. King and Bobby “Blue” Bland- Uptown Theater (1979)

• Pretenders and Steel Pulse- Uptown Theater (1981)

• The Hold Steady and Art Brut- The Granada (2007)

• Bonnie “Prince” Billy and Michael Hurley at Aladdin Theater (2023)

• Lionel Richie and Earth, Wind & Fire at the T-Mobile Center (2024)

The idea for this post came to me two hours ago while on a walk in Portland. I’m almost certainly failing to recall many equally rewarding concerts. I haven’t bothered to fact-check either, so the details may be incorrect. Here’s hoping Parker and SML will come through with a performance that will merit placement on a future list of exceptional double bills.

Champagne Supernova

Original image of Salzburg, Austria, by There Stands the Glass.

Excusing my extended silences when conversation turns to mass media, friends feel obliged to explain to others that I don’t watch television. It’s not entirely true, but listening to music and reading books are among my preferred forms of home entertainment. Full-length videos of operas are the exception to the rule. 

Opera Ballet Vlaanderen’s minimalist production of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s 1787 opera “Don Giovanni” is the most recent of the hundreds of opera productions I’ve viewed on YouTube in recent years. And unlike my frustrating experience with “Porgy and Bess” at Muriel Kauffman Theatre last week, hearing is not a sometime thing at my home theater.

Stylish and loaded with a talented cast, the Dutch interpretation of “Don Giovanni” enthralled me. Mozart’s music, needless to say, is divine. The unnecessary coda excepted, “Don Giovanni” is perfect. Still, I’d steer anyone unfamiliar with the tale of rape, murder, vengeance and damnation to a different version. 

Outbursts like the hilariously bacchanal “Fin ch'han dal vin”- better known as the champagne aria- may not make sense without a conventional stage set. Joseph Losey’s visually stunning 1979 screen adaptation leans into the opera’s sinfulness, but it lacks subtitles and is incomplete.. 

Kansas native Samuel Rainey stars in a grainy 35-year-old staging at the Metropolitan Opera, but English subtitles aren’t available. That’s why I suggest uninitiated viewers begin their appreciation of “Don Giovanni” with a 1954 star-studded production or a 2001 rendering featuring the wonderful Cecilia Bartoli.

Not knowing what I’m missing, I’m not in a position to disparage the media consumption of others. I’m deliriously happy with my unjustly underappreciated indulgence of choice. For the remainder of my life I intend to be intoxicated by the champagne supernova of streaming opera videos.

Review: The Lyric Opera of Kansas City's "Porgy and Bess" at Muriel Kauffman Theatre

Original image by There Stands the Glass.

A dozen high school theater kids sat near me in Muriel Kauffman Theatre on Saturday, February 28, for the opening night of The Lyric Opera of Kansas City’s production of “Porgy and Bess.” I envied them.

I wasn’t really aware of George and Ira Gershwin and DuBose Heyward’s 1935 opera until my late twenties. An obsession with Billie Holiday’s heartbreaking reading of “I Loves You, Porgy” on this excellent live album compelled me to investigate the source.

During my pandemic-era opera initiative I watched a couple versions of “Porgy and Bess,” but until last week, I’d never attended a production of the magnificent work. I paid $68.50 for a nosebleed seat amid an audience of about 1,500.

My binoculars opera glasses allowed me to appreciate the convincing acting of the cast. Unfortunately, not all of their voices projected to the back of the room. 

Having given up trying to hear, some people in the back chatted unapologetically. The theater kids leaned forward in futile attempts to catch every note and word. As for me, I’m still wondering if I'd ever be willing to spend $248.50 for a proper front-and-center seat at Muriel Kauffman Theatre.

February 2026 Recap: A Monthly Exercise in Critical Transparency

Screenshot of the trailer for Staatsoper Wien’s production of Giuseppe Verdi’s Luisa Miller by There Stands the Glass.

The Top Ten Albums of February 2026
1. Jill Scott- To Whom This May Concern
My review.

2. James Brandon Lewis and the Messthetics- Deface the Currency
Physical graffiti.

3. Bill Frisell- In My Dreams
Where the deer and the antelope play.

4. Charlie XCX- Wuthering Heights
Smoldering art-pop.

5. Tomeka Reid- dance! skip! hop!
With Mary Halvorson, Jason Roebke and Tomas Fujiwara.

6. Mandy, Indiana- Urgh
Yikes.

7. Melissa Aldana- Filin
My review.

8. Pat Metheny- Side-Eye III+
Everything at once.

9. Tigran Hamasyan- Manifeste
My review.

10. J. Cole- The Fall-Off
Farewell.

The Top Three Reissues of February 2026
1. Art Pepper- Everything Happens to Me: 1959, Live at the Cellar
My review.

2. Ranil y su Conjunto Tropical- Galaxia Tropical
Peruvian cumbia from the ‘80s and ‘90s.

3. Alexander Gibson- Opening the Doors
A seven-hour survey of the late Scottish conductor’s work.

The Top Ten Songs of February 2026
1. Jorge Drexler- "Toco madera"
Sparkling MPB #1.

2. Fabiano do Nascimento and Vittor Santos Orchestra-  “O Tempo (Foi O Meu Mestre)”
Sparkling MPB #2.

3. svn4evr- "veil"
Incredulous gospel.

4. Adrian Younge- “Portschute”
My new theme song.

5. LaVelle- "Suga"
Sweet soul music.

6. Ella Mai- "First Day"
Boo’d up.

7. xaviersobased- “Party at My Place”
Don’t bother knocking.

8. Billy Woods featuring Fatboi Sharif- “Funny Games”
Funny, not funny..

9. Willow featuring Kamasi Washington- "Play"
Recess.

10. The Womack Sisters- “You Went Away Too Long”
Family tradition.

The Top Ten Performances of February 2026
1. Joyce DiDonato and Time For Three at the Folly Theater
My review.

2. Isaac Cates & Ordained at Village Presbyterian Church
My Instagram clip.

3. UMKC Conservatory’s “Carmen” at White Theater
My review.

4. Joshua Redman Quartet at the Folly Theater
My review.

5. Lyric Opera of Kansas City’s “Porgy and Bess” at Muriel Kauffman Theatre
My Instagram snapshot.

6. KC Winter Jazzfest at Cap Gun Studios
My review.

7. Jericho Brown at Arrupe Auditorium
My Instagram snapshot.

8. Robert Stubbs at Country Club Christian Church
My Instagram clip.

9. Matt Otto, Aaron Sizemore, Ben Tervort and Mike Warren at the Music House
My Instagram clip.

10. The International Center for Music at Asbury Methodist Church
My Instagram clip.

The previous monthly recap is here.

Album Review: Melissa Aldana- Filin

I regularly monitored a weekly radio show dedicated to vintage jazz in the 1980s. Floored by an airing of Coleman Hawkins’ 1939 version of “Body and Soul,” I purchased a budget-priced compilation of material by the saxophonist from St. Joseph, Missouri. An ongoing affinity for the ballad playing of Hawkins, Johnny Hodges, Ben Webster and Lester Young ensued.

Most of the revivalists currently mining that deliciously lugubrious vein don’t capture my imagination. Filin, Melissa Aldana’s new album for Blue Note Records, is different. Consistency is maintained through the thematic concept of material associated with the filin movement of pre-revolution Cuba. 

The saxophonist’s accompanists- pianist Gonzalo Rubalcaba, bassist Peter Washington and drummer Kush Abadey- are elite. Monotony is circumvented by the appearance of the unconventional vocalist Cécile McLorin Salvant on two tracks.

I can’t stop swooning over Filin. That’s why I pitched a fit during Matt Otto’s appearance at Music House last night. The familiar chords of “Darn That Dream” resounded at the 49:15 mark of the quartet’s performance.

Nice! I’d get to hear one of my favorite saxophonists apply his formidable talent to a downtempo Hawkins-style standard. The unaccountably hurried tempo infuriated me. I tossed a $10 bill into guitarist Aaron Sizemore’s guitar case and fled to the comfort of Filin in my Prius.