May 2026 Recap: A Monthly Exercise in Critical Transparency

Screenshot of the trailer for Glyndebourne’s production of Gioachino Rossini’s “Il turco in Italia” by There Stands the Glass.

The Top Ten Albums of May 2026
1. Alexander Hawkins- No Nation but Imagination
The pianist with Nicole Mitchell, Rhodri Davies, Matthew Wright and Hamid Drake.

2. Jeff Parker and ETAIVtet- Happy Today
My review.

3. Aja Monet- The Color of Rain
Jazz poetry for the 21st century.

4. Gabrielle Cavassa- Diavola
My review.

5. JPEGMAFIA- Experimental Rap
All of the lights.

6. Drake- Habibti, Iceman and Maid of Honour
My review.

7. Yvonne Rogers- The Button Jar
Somewhere between Erik Satie and Bill Evans.

8. Latto- Big Mama
Fruitful.

9. Isaiah Rashad- It’s Been Awful
Same.

10. Chris Potter- Alive With Ghosts Today 
Homage to John Brown.

The Top Three Reimaginings and Live Sets of May 2026
1. Ahmed- Play Monk
Evidence.

2. Laurie Anderson and Sex Mob- Let X=X
Big science.

3. Salem- Red Dragon
Grimy hexes.

The Top Ten Songs of April 2026
1. Seu Jorge and Maria Rita- “Vento De Maio”
The winds of May.

2. Jay Wheeler- "Rubio"
Bad Bunny has reason to be concerned.

3. Joey Quiñones- “Soul Steady Situation”
My new theme song.

4. Silvana Estrada and pablopablo- “Antes De Ti”
Before you.

5. Genesis Owusu featuring Duckworth- "Hellstar"
Mothership connection.

6. Charli xcx- “Rock Music”
Punchline pop.

7. Vince Staples- “Blackberry Marmalade"
All fall down.

8. Stik Figa- “Blac Top Griot”
Ode to Rich Tha Factor.

9. Yazz Ahmed- "Dawn Patrol"
Early light.

10. Duval Timothy, Carlos Niño and Nate Mercereau- “ideations on rain”
Cleansing.

The Top Ten Performances of May 2026
1. Isata Kanneh-Mason at the 1900 Building
My review.

2. Joshua Bell, Steven Isserlis and Evgeny Kissin at the Folly Theater
My review.

3. Brian Haas, Zak Pischnotte, Shanté Clair, Seth Andrew Davis, Aaron Osborne and Evan Verploegh at Charlotte Street Foundation
My Instagram snapshots here, here, here and here.

4. Rod Fleeman, Gerald Spaits and Ray DeMarchi at Black Dolphin
My Instagram snapshot.

5. Matt Otto, Adam Schlozman and Joey Panella at the Market at Meadowbrook
My Instagram snapshots here, here and here.

6. Keith Benjamin and Eliza Bickers at Village Presbyterian Church
My Instagram clip.

7. Stan Kessler, Aaron Sizemore, Forest Stewart and Mike Warren at the Music House
My Instagram clip.

8. Sierra Richardson at Asbury United Methodist Church
My Instagram clip.

9. Joe Cartwright, Steve Rigazzi and Brian Steever at Ted’s Taproom
My Instagram snapshot.

10. Sundog at the Orion Room
My Instagram clip.

The previous monthly recap is here.

August 2021 Recap: A Monthly Exercise in Critical Transparency

(Screenshot of Bye Bye Braverman by There Stands the Glass.)

Top Ten Albums (released in August, not including August 27 titles)

1. Jana Rush- Painful Enlightenment

The art of noise.

2. Abstract Mindstate- Dreams Still Inspire 

My review.

3. Pink Siifu- Gumbo'!

Hey ya!

4. Shannon and the Clams- Year of the Spider

My review.

5. Tinashe- 333

Lucky numbers.

6. Max Richter- Exiles

Luminous.

7. Isaiah Rashad- The House Is Burning

Fire!

8. Bleachers- Take the Sadness Out of Saturday Night

My review.

9. Boldy James and The Alchemist- Bo Jackson

Another hit.

10. Angelika Niescier and Alexander Hawkins- Soul in Plain Sight

European birds of a feather.

Top Ten Songs (Released in August)

1. Injury Reserve- "Knees"

“A tough pill to swallow.”

2. Jungle- "No Rules"

Anarchy on the dance floor.

3. Robert Plant and Alison Krauss- "Can't Let Go"

Ooby dooby.

4. Connie Smith- "I'm Not Over You"

Going under. 

5. Rachika Nayar- "Memory as Miniatures"

What if Pat Metheny signed to Windham Hill instead of ECM?

6. Benny the Butcher- "The Iron Curtain"

Imposing.

7. Irreversible Entanglements- "Open the Gates"

“It’s energy time.”

8. Blackstarkids- “Juno”

Summertime blues.

9. Christina Bell featuring Fred Hammond- "Still Faithful"

Conviction.

10. $uicideboy$- “If Self-Destruction Was an Olympic Event, I’d Be Tanya Harding”

Going for gold.

Top Ten Films (viewed for the first time in August)

1. あん/Sweet Bean (2015)

Deliciously transcendent.

2. Moonlight (2016)

Hello stranger.

3. Blue Jasmine (2013)

Family feud.

4. The Wild Bunch (1969)

Desperados waiting for a train.

5. Les Vacances de Monsieur Hulot/Monsieur Hulot's Holiday (1953)

French slapstick.

6. Bye Bye Braverman (1968)

Funeral for a friend.

7. La Collectionneuse/The Collector (1967)

Attractive people do ugly things in beautiful places.

8. CODA (2021)

High school musical.

9. The Falcon in San Francisco (1945)

Conventional potboiler.

10. The Tomorrow War (2021)

Goofy sci-fi romp.

Live Music

I swore off electing to place myself amid crowds in Kansas City after a disheartening experience at the airport as August began.  The abhorrent behavior of halfwits and lunatics temporarily eradicated any possibility of enjoying myself at musical performances.

July’s recap and links to previous monthly surveys are here.

January 2021 Recap: A Monthly Exercise in Critical Transparency

Screenshot of Gilette Barbier in Lourdes by There Stands the Glass.

Top Ten Albums

1. Alexander Hawkins- Togetherness Music

My review.

2. Patricia Brennan- Maquishti

Concussed.

3. R.A.P. Ferreira- Bob’s Son

My review.

4. Miguel Zenón and Luis Perdomo- El Arte Del Bolero

My review.

5. Behzod Abduraimov- Debussy Chopin Mussorgsky

My review.

6. Caroline Shaw- Narrow Sea

Experimental gospel.

7. Sleaford Mods- Spare Ribs

My review.

8. Estelle Revaz and the Geneva Chamber Orchestra- Journey to Geneva

Startling interpretations of compositions by Frank Martin and Xavier Dayer.

9. Rich The Factor- Mobbligated

Straight off Kansas City’s grimiest assembly line.

10. Shame- Drunk Tank Pink

Queasy.

Top Ten Songs

1. Anavitória- "Terra"

Brazilian wall of sound.

2. Selena Gomez- "De Una Vez"

The pop star shares my affection for Bad Bunny.

3. Morgan Wallen- "Quittin' Time"

Remember Clint Black? Morgan Wallen does.

4. Chai- "Action"

“It’s going to be ok.”

5. Saweetie and Doja Cat- "Best Friend"

Cruisin’.

6. Flee Lord, Eto and Westside Gunn- "Ain't Hit Nobody"

Knockout.

7. Julien Baker- "Hardline"

Darkness, darkness.

8. Olivia Rodrigo- “Drivers License”

Teen spirit.

9. Rhye- "Come In Closer"

Sade sounds better than ever.

10. Anuel AA and Ozuna- "La Maria"

Rap it soft and it’s almost like praying.

Top Ten Films

1. Lourdes (2009)

Dogma and disability in France.

2. Say Amen, Somebody (1982)

Anointed! My new all-time favorite music documentary.

3. Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (2020)

Superb rendering of August Wilson’s estimable play.

4. The Little Foxes (1941)

Superb rendering of Lillian Hellman’s estimable play.

5. Fitzcarraldo (1982)

A wondrous shipwreck.

6. Gräns (2018)

Uninhibited Swedish fairytale.

7. The Blues Accordin’ to Lightnin’ Hopkins (1967)

Mojo workin’.

8. Little Joe (2019)

Cautionary fable about GMOs.

9. Jazz on a Summer’s Day (1959)

Incredibly, I’d seen only excerpts.

10. The Falcon and the Snowman (1985)

Drugs, treason and the NSA.

Links to previous installations of my monthly recap series begin here.

Album Review: Alexander Hawkins- Togetherness Music

Original image of Evan Parker at the Big Ears Festival in 2019 by There Stands the Glass.

I regret passing on an opportunity to chat with Evan Parker during the 2019 edition of the Big Ears Festival in Knoxville.  Parker stood with attendees on a sidewalk waiting for a venue’s doors to open for his matinee performance.  More familiar with Parker’s legendary status in new music circles than with his actual work, I wasn’t yet prepared to engage in anything more than small talk with the titanic figure.

I’ve since developed an incapacitating reverence for the iconoclastic British saxophonist after listening to dozens of hours of his recordings, a tiny fraction of the 76-year-old’s canon.  The latest example of his genius is Togetherness Music, a spectacularly ambitious “six-movement quasi-orchestral work” overseen by pianist and composer Alexander Hawkins.  Parker’s presence acts as a lit fuse amid the combustible large ensemble that includes strings and electronics.

In expanding the outer limits of the innovations of Charles Mingus and Charles Ives, Togetherness Music blends jazz-based improvisation with contemporary classical music.  I’m all in, but my enthusiasm could become problematic.  Were I to encounter Parker today, I’d almost certainly embarrass myself with unhinged musings on the uncommonly fertile new ground he and collaborators like Hawkins have forged.

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I’m honored to have been asked to participate in The 2020 NPR Music Jazz Critics Poll. My notes about a challenging aspect of the selection process are at Plastic Sax.