Screenshot from the trailer of the Metropolitan Opera’s staging of Terence Blanchard’s “Fire Shut Up in My Bones” by There Stands the Glass. PBS broadcast the opera on April 1.
Top Ten Albums (Released in April, excluding 4/29 titles)
1. Pusha T- It’s Almost Dry
The trio of Kanye, Pharrell and King Push is an unbeatable dream team.
2. Gerald Clayton- Bells on Sand
3. Billy Woods- Aethiopes
Highbrow hip-hop.
4. Tord Gustavsen Trio- Opening
5. Myra Melford- For the Love of Fire and Water
The pianist leads a free jazz supergroup.
6. Joel Ross- The Parable of the Poet
Palpably spiritual jazz.
7. Mitsuko Uchida- Beethoven: Diabelli Variations
8. Sault- Air
9. Cole Swindell- Stereotype
10. Vince Staples- Ramona Park Broke My Heart
Understated excellence.
Top Ten Songs (Released in April)
1. Miranda Lambert- "Actin' Up"
Call the cops.
2. Kaitlin Butts- "She's Using"
Codeine dreams.
3. Christian Nodal- "Aguardiente"
Poison.
4. Bonnie Raitt- "Love So Strong"
Kombucha for the soul.
5. Horace Andy- "Watch Over Them"
Reggae lion in winter.
6. Anitta featuring Chencho Corleone- "Gata"
The cat’s pajamas.
7. Young M.A.- “Tip the Surgeon”
Bloody.
8. Doechii- "Crazy"
Time to get right with God.
9. Lele Pons and Kim Loaiza- "Piketona"
Clubbed.
10. Making Movies- "Sala de los Pecadores"
Den of sin.
Top Ten Performances of April
1. Joyce DiDonato at the Folly Theater
2. Daniil Trifonov at the Folly Theater
3. Drew Williams, Ben Tervort and Brian Steever at Westport Coffee House
4. Babehoven at Farewell
5. Kwan Leung Ling, Evan Verploegh and Ben Baker at Charlotte Street Foundation
6. Ducks Ltd. at the Green House
7. Maul at Vivo
8. Tyrone Clark, Charles Gatschet and Taylor Babb- Green Lady Lounge
The venue’s all-originals policy is paying off.
9. Jeff Harshbarger Quartet at the Blue Room
Standards deviations.
10. A Pile of Dead Horses at 7th Heaven
Fargo noise.
Last month’s survey is here.