September 2025 Recap: A Monthly Exercise in Critical Transparency

Screenshot of the trailer for Welsh National Opera’s production of Giacomo Puccini's Tosca by There Stands the Glass.

The Top Ten Albums of September 2025

1. Trio of Bloom- Trio of Bloom
Nels Cline, Craig Taborn and Marcus Gilmore.

2. Vox Clamantis- Pärt: And I heard a voice
Spectral spirituality.

3. Olivia Dean- The Art of Loving
Near-perfect pop.

4. Satoko Fujii and Natsuki Tamura- Ki
Spartan piano and trumpet duo.

5. Cécile McLorin Salvant- Oh Snap
My kind of mixtape.

6. Atmosphere- Jestures
My review.

7. Mulatu Astatke- Mulatu Plays Mulatu
Ethiopian twilight.

8. Rochelle Jordan- Through the Wall
Don’t stop ‘til you get enough.

9. Les Arts Florissants- Gluck: Orphée et Eurydice
Oui français.

10. Jeff Tweedy- Twilight Override
One’s too many and thirty ain’t enough.

The Top Three Reissues and Reimaginings of September 2025

1. Joni Mitchell- Joni’s Jazz
One side now.

2. Kassa Overall- CREAM
My review.

3. Gary Bartz- The Eternal Tenure of Sound: Damage Control
Slow jamz.

The Top Ten Songs of September 2025

1. El Michels Affair featuring Norah Jones- "Carry Me Away"
Surf.

2. Kali Uchis featuring Raven Lenae- “Cry About It!”
Rainin’ in my heart.

3. Mariah Carey featuring Anderson Paak- “Play This Song”
Grown-and-sexy.

4. Rauw Alejandro featuring Mon Laferte- "Callejón de los Secretos"
Boulevard of broken dreams.

5. Tortoise- “Layered Presence”
Slow and steady.

6. Danny Brown- “Starburst”
Glitchy and twichy.

7. Black Lips- “Sx Sx Sx Men”
Filthy numerology.

8. Speed- "Peace"
Only one mode.

9. Lorna Kay- “I’m Never Drinking Again (Again)”
Hair of the dog.

10. Mike Reid and Joe Henry- “History”
Lovely lament.

The Top Ten Performances of September 2025

1. Callie Day and Isaac Cates at Grant Recital Hall
My Instagram clip.

2. 10cc at Ranch Mart Shopping Center
My review.

3. Kid Congo Powers and the Pink Monkey Birds and Dan Jones and the Squids at recordBar
My Instagram clips here and here.

4. Isaac Cates’ Affirmations: A Night of Worship with Oleta Adams, Callie Day, Angela Crawford, Alicia Peters-Jordan and Chrystal Rucker at the Church of the Resurrection
My Instagram clip.

5. Devin Gray at The Ship
My Instagram clip.

6. Béla Fleck, Edmar Castañeda and Antonio Sánchez at Helzberg Hall
My Instagram snapshot.

7. Deftones, Idles and the Barbarians of California at T-Mobile Center
My review.

8. Henry Scamurra, Isaiah Petrie, Spencer Reeve and Jade Harvey at the Prairie Village Jazz Festival
My Instagram clip.

9. Nathaniel Gumbs at St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church
My Instagram clip.

10. Rex Hobart and the Honky Tonk Standards at SarKoPar Trails Park
My Instagram clip.

The previous monthly recap is here.

Concert Review: Deftones, Idles and Barbarians of California at T-Mobile Center

Original image by There Stands the Glass.

I had ninety minutes to slap together a 400-word concert review of Deftones’ performance at a Kansas City casino in 2011. Assigned a general admission pass by the daily newspaper, I had no choice but to immerse myself in the ecstatic ebb and flow of the pit.

The debilitating volume and turbulent physicality rendered me insensible. My assessment was almost certainly incoherent. Deftones’ headlining appearance at the T-Mobile Center on Wednesday, September 17, made me realize I needn’t have felt inadequate about the tight deadline 14 years ago.

The ephemeral sludge and psychedelic crunch of Deftones’ performances is rooted in vibe rather than intellect. Much as it did for 1,200 fans in 2011, the band induced 12,000 people into a narcoleptic trance last night. (My seat in a remote corner of the arena was comped.)

I had a similar experience at Dia de los Deftones in San Diego in 2018. My memory of sets by Future, Ho99o9 and Doja Cat is more distinct than my recollection of Deftones’ metallic impressionism.

The punks in Idles don’t share Deftones’ murkiness. In addition to explicitly addressing immigration and fascism, front man Joe Talbot led the crowd in a chant of “Free Palestine.” Here’s a clip of "Gift Horse".

If Idles embodies the spirit of ‘76, The Barbarians of California represent the crassness of television beer commercials. The magnificence of the band’s stoner rock riffs was negated by the cheesiness of vocalist Aaron Bruno. Most everyone lapped it up.

January 2024 Recap: A Monthly Exercise in Critical Transparency

Screenshot of Oper Graz’s production of Giuseppi Verdi’s Macbeth by There Stands the Glass.

Top Ten Albums of January

1. Willi Carlisle- Critterland
Folk masterstroke.

2. Abdullah Ibrahim- 3
The octogenarian in peak form.

3. Piotr Anderszewski- Bartók, Janáček, Szymanowski
On an overgrown path.

4. Philip Glass- Solo
Greatest hits hits hits hits hits hits hits hits.

5. Kali Uchis- Orquídeas
Panoramic pop.

6. Betty Bryant- Lotta Livin’
My review.

7. Luis R Conriquez- Corridos Bélicos, Vol. IV
What border?

8. Danielle Nicole- The Love You Bleed
My audio feature for KCUR.

9. The Smile- Wall of Eyes
Frippery.

10. Behzod Abduraimov- Shadows of My Ancestors
Prokofiev, Saidaminova and Ravel.

Top Ten Songs of January

1. Joel Ross- “bach (God the Father in Eternity)”
Sanctified.

2. Brian Harnetty- "The Workbench"
A loving sound collage.

3. Mary Halvorson- “Desiderata”
Now that’s what I call shredding!

4. Idles- "Gift Horse"
Ugly as homemade sin.

5. Sleater-Kinney- "Small Finds"
Needles.

6. Sprints- "Heavy"
Gravity.

7. Erick the Architect featuring George Clinton- "Ezekiel's Wheel"
Cosmic slop.

8. SleazyWorld Go- ​​"32 Bars"
Shots fired.

9. Ana Tijoux featuring Pablo Chili-E- "Dime que"
Chee-chee-chee, lay-lay-lay.

10. Ufo361 featuring lucidbeats and Ken Carson- "RICK OWENS"
If the shoe fits…

Top Ten Concerts of January

1. Isata Kanneh-Mason and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra at Helzberg Hall
My review.

2. UMKC Conservatory’s “Suor Angelica” at the James C. Olson Performing Arts Center
My Instagram photo.

3. Joyce DiDonato’s master class at Helzberg Hall
My Instagram photo.

4. Joyce DiDonato with the Kansas City Symphony at Helzberg Hall
My review.

5. Arnold Young’s RoughTet at Westport Coffee House
My Instagram clip.

6. Wire Town at Green Lady Lounge
My Instagram clip.

7. Bryan Hicks, Matt Otto and Charles Gatschet at the Market at Meadowbrook
My Instagram photo.

8. Cynthia van Roden at the Market at Meadowbrook
My Instagram clip.

9. Jun Iwasaki’s violin master class at Helzberg Hall
My Instagram photo.

10. Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center’s master class at Rolling Hills Presbyterian Church
My Instagram photo.

The previous monthly recap is here.

November 2021 Recap: A Monthly Exercise in Critical Transparency

Screenshot of the trailer for Valerie a týden divů by There Stands the Glass.

Top Ten Albums (released in November)

1. Irreversible Entanglements- Open the Gates

My review.

2. Summer Walker- Still Over It

Number one with a bitterness.

3. Malcolm Jiyane Tree-O- Umdali

Valiant South African jazz.

4. Brian Wilson- At My Piano

Tragic beauty.

5. Attacca Quartet- Of All Joys

Partly Pärt.

6. Terrace Martin- Drones

Flying high above Silk Sonic.

7. Robert Plant and Alison Krauss- Raise the Roof

An old-fashioned barn burner.

8. Cevanne Horrocks-Hopayian- Welcome Party

Knock knock.

9. Anna Netrebko- Amata dalle tenebre

Aching arias.

10. Anuel AA- Las Leyendas Nunca Mueren

Legends never die.

Top Ten Songs (released in November)

1. Willie Nelson- "Too Sick to Pray"

On bended knee.

2. Del McCoury Band- "Once Again"

That high, lonesome sound.

3. Earl Sweatshirt- "2010"

Don’t call it a comeback.

4. City Girls- "Scared"

“Ain’t no way I’m stopping.”

5. The Bug featuring Jason Williamson- "Treetop"

Out on a limb.

6. Idles- "Stockholm Syndrome"

Brainwashed.

7. Frogpond- "I Really Don't Care"

Meat-and potatoes heartland rock.

8. NRBQ- "I Like Her So Much"

Still ticking.

9. Adele with Erroll Garner- "All Night Parking"

The best song on 30.

10. Cécile McLorin Salvant- "Ghost Song"

Spectral.

Top Ten Concerts of November

1. J.D. Allen, Eric Revis and Nasheet Waits- Blue Room

My review.

2. Oleta Adams with Isaac Cates & Ordained- Old Mission United Methodist Church

My review.

3. Mary Gauthier- Knuckleheads

4. UMKC Opera’s “Acis and Galatea”- White Recital Hall

My review.

5. Dare- 7th Heaven

My Instagram clip.

6. Rod Fleeman Trio- Green Lady Lounge

7. The Kansas City Symphony’s “Coming to America”- Helzberg Hall

8. Renée Fleming- Helzberg Hall

9. Richard Thompson- Folly Theater

My review.

10. Sentenced 2 Die- 7th Heaven

My Instagram clip.

Top Ten Movies (viewed for the first time in November)

1. Popiół i diament/Ashes and Diamonds (1958)

Bloody Polish power grab.

2. La Strada/The Road (1954)

Giulietta Masina and Anthony Quinn convey crippling sadness.

3. Der junge Törless/Young Törless (1966)

Unflinching teen brutality.

4. Sparrows (1926)

Mary Pickford leads escape from foul baby farm.

5. De Slag om de Schelde/The Forgotten Battle  (2020)

World War II in Holland is hell.

6. Valerie a týden divů/Valerie and Her Week of Wonders (1970)

Frightfully freaky fairy tale.

7. Taking Tiger Mountain (1983)

A very bad trip.

8. The Harder They Fall (2021)

Wild, wild west(ern).

9. La bestia debe morir/The Beast Must Die (1952)

Argentinian noir.

10. Arsène Lupin (1932)

Sexy criminal caper.

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