Aja Monet

April 2026 Recap: A Monthly Exercise in Critical Transparency

Screenshot of the trailer for Finnish National Opera’s production of Mark-Anthony Turnage’s Festen by There Stands the Glass.

The Top Ten Albums of April 2026
1. Ella Langley- Dandelion
Somethin’ simple.

2. Dave Douglas- Transcend
Above and beyond.

3. Marta Sanchez- For the Space You Left
Treated piano.

4. Thundercat- Distracted
Atomic dog.

5. Squarepusher- Kammerkonzert
The chamber music of tomorrow.

6. Mike and Earl Sweatshirt- Pompeii//Utility
Blurrier and slurrier.

7. Isata Kanneh-Mason- Prokofiev: Piano Concerto No. 3
A delectable souvenir of a recital I caught in 2024.

8. Dan Penn- Smoke Filled Room
My review.

9. sunn O)))- sunn O)))
Zero tolerance for silence.

10. My New Band Believe- My New Band Believe
My review.


The Top Ten Reissues and Reimaginings of April 2026
1. Rosalía- Lux: Complete Works
Expanded version of the 2025 stunner.

2. Jimmy Scott- Falling In Love Is Wonderful
Killing me softly.

3. Kronos Quartet- Glorious Mahalia
How she got over.


The Top Ten Songs of April 2026
1. Nduduzo Makhathini- “Kuzodlula”
Blessed quietude.

2. Beth Orton- “Waiting”
Wallowing in misery.

3. Karol G and Greg Gonzalez- "Después de ti"
After you.

4. Céline Dion- “Dansons”
Jetlag is doing funny things to me.

5. Baalti and Lapgan- “Romance”
Remembering Asha Bhosle.

6. aja monet featuring Mick Jenkins and Vic Mensa- “melting clocks”
Timeless.

7. That Mexican OT- “Still Virgil”
Victory lap.

8. Quiet Light- “Self Tape”
Blue Monday.

9. Bruce Hornsby featuring Blake Mills and Bob Weir- “Might as Well Be Me, Florinda”
My review.

10. Matthew Stevens and Josh Johnson- “Hazy”
The apogee of the sound of the moment.



The Top Ten Performances of April 2026
Rapturous life events involving extensive travel precluded me from attending ten performances in April.



The previous monthly recap is here.

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.

June 2023 Recap: A Monthly Exercise in Critical Transparency

Screenshot of the trailer of Deutsche Oper Berlin’s production of Turandot by There Stands the Glass.

Top Ten Albums of June

1. Aja Monet- When the Poems Do What They Do

My review.

2. Young Thug- Business is Business

Money.

3. Jonny Greenwood and Dudu Tassa- Jarak Qaribak

Old country.

4. Orrin Evans- The Red Door

Unlocked.

5. Tanya Tucker- Sweet Western Sound

Blood red and goin’ down.

6. Deer Tick- Emotional Contracts

Exile on Mean Street.

7. Ambrose Akinmusire- Beauty is Enough

Perhaps.

8. Pat Metheny- Dream Box

My review.

9. Meshell Ndegeocello- The Omnichord Real Book

Post-genre.

10. Killer Mike- Michael

Deadly.


Top Ten Songs of June

1. Joshua Ray Walker- "Cuz I Love You"

What a time to be alive.

2. Big Freedia- "Gin In My System"

Bounce.

3. Don Omar- "Carcelero"

Jailhouse rock.

4. Rufus Wainwright and Chaka Khan- “Cotton Eyed Joe”

Where did you come from?

5. Kelly Clarkson- “rock hudson”

Pillow talk.

6. Militarie Gun- “My Friends Are Having a Hard Time”

Time tough.

7. Joanna Sternberg- "I Will Be with You"

Hi, how are you?

8. Bettye LaVette featuring Anthony Hamilton, Ray Parker Jr. and Rev. Charles Hodges- “Sooner or Later”

The time is now.

9. Peso Pluma- "BZRP #55"

Wise guy.

10. Lil Uzi Vert- "Rehab"

No no no.


Top Ten Performances of June

1. Boulevardia, day one (Cimafunk, Steddy P, the Beths)

My review.

2. Nickel Creek and Gaby Moreno at Muriel Kauffman Theatre

My review.

3. Devin Gray, Maria Elena Silva and the Extemporaneous Music and Arts Society at Firehouse Gallery #8

My review.

4. Pat Metheny’s Side-Eye at Muriel Kauffman Theatre

My review.

5. Donald Harrison’s “The Jazz of Physics: Quantum Improvisation” at the Folly Theater

My Instagram snapshot.

6. Boulevardia day two (Big Freedia, the Salvation Choir, Peter Schlamb)

My review.

7. Chalis O’Neal at the Blue Room

My Instagram clip.

8. Danielle Nicole Band at Town Center Plaza

My Instagram clip.

9. Frederick Hodges’ “Music Will Win the War” at the National WWI Museum and Memorial

My Instagram clip.

10. Sarah Tannehill Anderson and Elizabeth Suh Lane at Loose Park

My Instagram clip.



The previous monthly survey is here.

Album Review: Aja Monet- When the Poems Do What They Do

I realized I was irrevocably attached to When the Poems Do What They Do as I snapped my fingers to a line I ordinarily would have considered irredeemably cringey.

On “For Sonia,” a track at the midpoint of the 83-minute album, Aja Monet recalls “when I first showed up to the community organizing meeting I uttered the word ‘poetry’ and their faces sunk with confusion.”

My face is illuminated with elation.  Partly because the self-described “surrealist blues poet” collaborates with elite musicians on When the Poems Do What They Do, I’m invested in each of Monet’s lines.

Chief Xian aTunde Adjuah, the trumpeter formerly known as Christian Scott, bassist Luques Curtis and drummer Marcus Gilmore transform an otherwise dicey proposition into consequential art.