Album Review: Cosmic Ear- Traces

A chaotic mess, Live in Philadelphia is precisely the album I wanted from 101-year-old Marshall Allen. Traveling the spaceways with a large cast of avant-jazz luminaries for 82 turbulent minutes, Allen seems much more himself than on his straightlaced February release New Dawn.

At 83, Christer Bothén is a comparative spring chicken. The multi-instrumentalist demonstrates he’s also worthy of late-career recognition on the impeccable new album Traces. Along with Cosmic Ear cohorts including the free jazz standout Mats Gustafsson, Bothén achieves an elevated form of spirituality.

Whereas Allen honors Sun Ra, Cosmic Ear’s north star is Bothén’s former collaborator Don Cherry. Traces contains things I treasure most in improvised instrumental music: intercontinental grooves, bursts of skronk and electronic shivers in a quest for divine communion.

EP Review: Evan Bartels- To Make You Cry

What was supposed to be a quick outing at a matinee show at a famous Kansas City honky tonk descended into prolonged dissipation with a companion earlier this week. The evening began to turn sideways during an argument about the merits of country music. I recall my spirited defense of the gospel albums of Johnny Cash and the Nickelback-meets-Chesney ditties of Morgan Wallen. My pal insisted on acquiring additional fortification to fuel further debates about music and politics at a different establishment. I’m wondering if sending a link to Evan Bartels’ new EP To Make You Cry as a peace offering might be misconstrued as a mean-spirited provocation. "Lula" and "Montana" are among the unspeakably sad Nebraska-inspired ballads capable of ruining an evening. My country-averse friend probably doesn’t share my predilection for pain songs.

Album Review: Milena Casado- Reflection of Another Self

Brace yourself for a brief burst of hyperbole. Reflection of Another Self sounds for all the world like an all-time-great debut album. Milena Casado, a Spanish-born and Berklee-trained trumpeter and bandleader, flouts moribund conventions on the bold 43-minute statement issued by a jazz record label. Plugged-in and pop-adjacent, the album features notables such as Terri Lyne Carrington, Kris Davis, Morgan Guerin, Nicole Mitchell, Meshell Ndegeocello and Brandee Younger. Yet Casado doesn’t seem to be following fashion or hiding behind established stars. An appealing individualism surfaces throughout a project that delivers more than mere promise.

Negative Mirrors

The circumstances of two conversations I had this week exposed an unattractive aspect of my character. In both instances, I stood outside a flashy luxury car as the driver remained seated behind the wheel. Display screens on the dashboards revealed that one person was tuned to a terrestrial pop radio station. The other monitored a talk radio show.

I couldn’t help but judge them. The four-figure resale value of my car may be just a tenth of the cost of my acquaintances’ vehicles but its Bluetooth capacity means I’m always listening to precisely what I intend to hear. Why wasn’t one associate streaming the Miranda Lambert songs I know she loves? The other should have been grooving to hits by the Commodores in his pricey ride.

The dissonance I experienced during these interactions reminds me that not everyone shares my passion for music. I’m often similarly disappointed when sharing music with friends who possess limited palates. A punk-leaning pal was recently mystified when I sent him a link to a favorite soul-jazz song. Conversely, most friends in the jazz community are dumbstruck by my punk inclinations.

I could share my enthusiasm for Håkon Berre’s new album Mirror Matter by texting my contacts in the improvised music community. They’d be receptive to the dazzling solo percussion recording by the Norway-based musician released this week by the Barefoot Records collective. Instead, I’m recommending it here.

Much like Devin Gray, Berre is capable of sustaining attention while manipulating a “vast diversity of trash and objects… materials such as metal, plastic, cardboard, paper, wood and expanded polystyrene.” I’m looking forward to playing Mirror Matter in my car this weekend. Maybe I’ll even find someone with whom to talk.

Money Jungle

Original image by There Stands the Glass.

Friends have asked why they didn’t see me at recent concerts by iconic artists including Nick Cave, Bob Dylan, Maxwell and Paul Simon. I’m obliged to tell them that global economic instability and sudden non-recurring individual expenses mean I’m not willing to invest in expensive tickets this spring. My low budget doesn’t mean I’m stuck at home. I took in 17 performances in April, the priciest of which put me back a wince-worthy $33.50. Seeking out community events and scouring the calendars of churches with big arts budgets, university conservatories and coffee shops has paid off. See you in church!

"I Hate Jazz"

Original image by There Stands the Glass.

A nurse asked an anesthetist about her trip to New Orleans as I lay in a hospital bed with a tube in my nose and an IV in my arm last week.

“How was Jazz Fest?”
“We had so much fun!”
“Did you listen to a lot of jazz?”
“No. I hate jazz!”
“I hate jazz too!”

My heart broke as the coworkers bonded over their mutual loathing of music I love. Knowing we were within shouting distance of the site of Charlie Parker’s elementary school made me wish I was slated to receive morphine rather than propofol during my minor medical procedure.

I chatted with the otherwise charming anesthetist about the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival upon awakening. Her favorite band was billed in the topline of this year’s event. Allowing myself to be upset about the commonplace dismissal of an entire genre would be hypocritical.

Until recently, I’d been indifferent to The Modern Jazz Quartet. Hearing The John Lewis Piano for the first time in April lifted the veil. The music by Martha Argerich, Sviatoslav Richter and András Schiff I’ve mainlined in the past couple years allow me to finally appreciate the classical inclinations of MJQ leader John Lewis.

An approach that previously struck me as precious now seems wonderfully weird on the 1958 recording. The awkward title and dodgy sound correspond with the outlandishly unconventional chamber jazz featuring members of MJQ and an aggressive cricket. My new favorite band is 73 years old.

Album Review: Tucker Wetmore- What Not To

A friend is aghast at my ongoing affection for the music of Morgan Wallen. Not only have I not cancelled Wallen, I continue to listen to the controversial country star for pleasure.

My pal may not know I was raised on country music and that my life partner’s predilections mean I’ve always been familiar with current country radio fare. Another critical factor can’t be easily dismissed: I live in Kansas. I’m liable to hear Wallen every time I step outside.

Tucker Wetmore sounds a lot like Wallen throughout his new album What Not To. The best songs of both men concern the irresistible lure of alcohol and the heartbreak of the women they love. Given it’s the soundtrack of my life, I’m willing to forgive the incessant sonic and lyrical clichés.

I’m the Problem, Morgan Wallen’s fourth album, will be released next month. If it’s as solid as What Not To, it’s going to be a country-themed summer on my Kansas homestead. My friend is always welcome, but he’ll never talk to me again if he catches me singing along with "It Takes One to Break One".

April 2025 Recap: A Monthly Exercise in Critical Transparency

Screenshot of the trailer for Houston Grand Opera’s production of Richard Wagner’s Tannhäuser by There Stands the Glass.

The Top Ten Albums of April 2025

1. Sumac and Moor Mother- The Film
End times.

2. Sherelle- With a Vengeance
British footwork.

3. Leif Ove Andsnes and the Norwegian Soloists’ Choir- Liszt: Via Crucis & Solo Piano Works
Sometimes it causes me to tremble.

4. Gerald Clayton- Ones & Twos
My review.

5. Salif Keita- So Kono
Hushed beauty.

6. Black Country, New Road- Forever Howlong
My review.

7. Marilyn Crispell, Thommy Andersson and Michala Østergaard-Nielsen- The Cave
Improvisation worthy of Plato.

8. Willie Nelson- Oh What a Beautiful World
Willie on Rodney.

9. The Mars Volta- Lucro sucio; Los ojos del vacio
My review.

10. Tucker Wetmore- What Not To
My review.

The Top Three Reissues, Repackagings and Reimaginings of April 2025

1. John Hicks- Steadfast
Forty-year-old solo piano.

2. Sun Ra- Nuits de la Fondation Maeght
The space bop motherlode.

3. Stanley Cowell- Musa: Ancestral Streams
A 1974 classic reemerges.

The Top Ten Songs of April 2025

1. Emma-Jean Thackray- "Thank You for the Day"
Blessings abound.

2. Sault- “L.U.”
Gospel truth.

3. Bon Iver featuring Dijon and Flock of Dimes- "Day One"
We miss the old Kanye.

4. Lorde- "What Was That"
Royal.

5. Carin León, Diego El Cigala and Chanela Clicka- "Te Quiero Y Me Miento"
Intercontinental fusion.

6. Christian Nodal- "Amé"
Love.

7. Mark Morton featuring Nikki Lane- “Down No More”
Straight and narrow.

8. Viagra Boys- "You N33d Me"
Needy.

9. Jane Remover featuring Danny Brown- "Psychoboost"
Hyperpop fantasia.

10. Mekons- "Before the Ice Age"
Warmth.

The Top Ten Performances of April 2025

1. Jake Heggie’s master class at Grant Recital Hall
My review.

2. Joseph Genualdi and Sean Chen at White Recital Hall
My review.

3. Les Arts Florissants with Théotime Langlois de Swarte at the Folly Theater
My Instagram clip.

4. Lauren Auge and Jacob Hofeling at St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church
My Instagram clip.

5. Electronic Music Midwest Festival at Kansas City Kansas Community College
My Instagram clips: day one and day two.

6. Helen Sung with Bach Aria Soloists at the Folly Theater
My review.

7. Opus 76 at Shawnee Mission South High School
My Instagram clip.

8. The Extemporaneous Music and Arts Society’s “3 Expressions of Light and Sound” at Charlotte Street Foundation
My Instagram clip.

9. Bob Bowman at Westport Coffee House
My Instagram clip.

10. Aaron Sizemore, Craig Akin and Taylor Babb at the Music House
My Instagram clip.

The previous monthly recap is here.

Concert Review: Joseph Genualdi and Sean Chen at White Recital Hall

Original image by There Stands the Glass.

The recent misfortunes affecting all global citizens have been paralleled by personal setbacks in recent weeks. My gloom resulted in an insatiable craving for chamber music.

Seven of the 13 performances I’ve attended so far this month fall into the category. And while I wasn’t interested in tuning into broadcasts from the Coachella festival, I’m currently obsessed with The 19th International Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition.

I was impelled to claim a front-and-center seat amid an audience of a few dozen at a free faculty recital by pianist Sean Chen and violinist Joseph Genualdi at White Recital Hall on Wednesday, April 23. The UMKC Conservatory professors’ interpretations of Bach, Beethoven, Brahms and Fauré hit home.

Accompanied by rolling thunder, Genualdi’s take of Bach’s famed chaconne may be the most transcendent thing I’ll hear in 2025. My passion for a piece written more than 300 years ago almost certainly correlates with my malaise.

Album Review: Gerald Clayton- Ones & Twos

Music appreciation has become so effortless that I’m inclined to resent the artists responsible for Ones & Twos. Accessing the gimmick of the new Blue Note Records release required the help of a friend kind enough to create bespoke files for me.

Alluding to the DJ reference in the title of his latest album, Gerald Clayton explains it’s “a record where the A side can be played simultaneously with the B side… you hear two separate pieces at the same time.”

Each side of the twelve-track album is meant to be heard separately and simultaneously. The music in the latter experience is obviously twice as dense as the detached tracks. Remarkably, it succeeds both ways.

The ruse may not have intrigued me had not several of my favorite musicians been involved. Marquis Hill, Elena Pinderhughes, Joel Ross, Kendrick Scott and the brilliant trickster Kassa Overall have created many of the most exciting sounds of the past decade. Ones & Twos is no exception.