Carin León

August 2025 Recap: A Monthly Exercise in Critical Transparency

Screenshot of the trailer for Národní divadlo Brno’s production of Antonín Dvořák’s Rusalka by There Stands the Glass.

The Top Ten Albums of August 2025

1. Linda May Han Oh- Strange Heavens
My review.

2. Aruán Ortiz- Créole Renaissance
Créolité.

3. Emily D’Angelo, Ben Bliss, Yannick Nézet-Séguin and the Metropolitan Opera- Tesori: Grounded
My review.

4. Oren Ambarchi, Johan Berthling and Andreas Werliin- Ghosted III
Haunting.

5. Pino Palladino and Blake Mills- That Wasn’t a Dream
Too good to be true.

6. Sara Ruiz- Telemann: Fantaisies Pour La Basse de Violle
Viola da gamba.

7. Endlings- Parallel 03
End times soundtrack from Raven Chacon and John Dieterich.

8. The Good Ones- Rwanda Sings with Strings
Rapturous.

9. Miguel Zenón Quartet- Vanguardia Subterránea
Basement tapes.

10. Deftones- private music
Public record.

The Top Three Reissues, Reimaginings and Compilations of August 2025

1. Woody Guthrie- Woody at Home, Vol. 1 + 2
My review.

2. Anat Fort- The Dreamworld of Paul Motian
My review.

3. Antone’s 50th Allstars: 50 Years of the Blues
Tough Texas blues.

The Top Ten Songs of August 2025

1. Cécile McLorin Salvant- “What does blue mean to you?”
All blues.

2. Gabriel Jacoby- "Be Careful"
Voodoo.

3. Earl Sweatshirt- "Gamma"
Everybody loves the sunshine.

4. Patricia Brennan- "Antlia"
Lost in the stars.

5. Sam Gendel- "Stair 1"
Spiral.

6. Chance the Rapper featuring Jamila Woods- "No More Old Men"
Wisdom of the ages.

7. Carin León and Kacey Musgraves- "Lost in Translation"
Cómo se dice “fun”?

8. Margo Price and Tyler Childers- "Love Me Like You Used To"
A la Loretta and Conway.

9. Rodney Crowell- “Maybe Somewhere Down the Road”
Perspective.

10. Brad Mehldau- “The White Lady Loves You More”
Elliott Smith as chamber music composer.

The Top Ten Performances of August 2025

1. Horsegirl, Sweeping Promises and Godcaster at the Bottleneck
My review.

2. Seth Davis, Jeffrey Goulet, Alexander Adams, Shanté Clair and Krista Kopper at Grand Avenue Temple
My Instagram clip and snapshot.

3. Lil Wayne and Tyga at T-Mobile Center
My review.

4. Ann Pham, Sherry Dou and Ann Marie Rigler at the 13th Annual French Organ Music Festival at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception
My Instagram snapshot.

5. Aaron Sizemore, DeAndre Manning and Brian Steever at the Music House
My Instagram clip.

6. Adam Galblum and Eddie Moore at the Market at Meadowbrook
My Instagram snapshot.

7. Bobby Watson at Jay McShann Pavilion
My Instagram clip.

8. Kitty Degler and Robert Pherigo at All Souls Unitarian Church
My Instagram snapshot.

9. Mike Bourne & KC Boogie at Black Dolphin
My Instagram snapshot.

10. Moon City Big Band at Franklin Park
My Instagram clip.



The previous monthly recap is here.

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.