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.

Album Review: Jeff Parker and ETAIVtet- Happy Today

A musician of my acquaintance recently posted a screed in which he objected to “a clear lack of gender identity” and decried a supposed “global ideology” in jazz. I can only guess at what he meant, but it’s possible the mainstream jazz artist was triggered by the abundance of positive publicity surrounding the release of Happy Today.

The curmudgeon would be justified in suggesting Happy Today doesn’t swing. It grooves. Neither does Happy Today contain direct echoes of Louis Armstrong, Oscar Peterson or Wynton Marsalis. Instead, it’s in the innovative spirit of Miles Davis, Herbie Hancock and Wayne Shorter.

The disputant may be appalled by the assertion, but the grouping of guitarist Jeff Parker, saxophonist Josh Johnson, bassist Anna Butterss and drummer Jay Bellerose epitomizes the prevailing sound in improvised music. For fans like me, Happy Today is comfort music. In fact, the funky serenity of Happy Today risks seeming overly familiar.

Vintage jazz provides a different form of solace. I recently took great pleasure in bingeing on the solo recordings of Art Tatum. Yet I was left cold when I attended a performance by a locally based devotee of Tatum earlier this month. Jazz- with or without consideration of “gender identity” and “global ideology”- will never cease evolving.

Hearing Double

Original image by There Stands the Glass.

I’m holding a ticket for tonight’s double-bill of Jeff Parker and SML at Revolution Hall. I’ve seen Parker with Tortoise and in other contexts, but I’ve never seen the guitarist perform as a leader. I’m especially giddy about catching the opening act SML for the first time.

The tandem compelled me to reminisce about five enticing double bills I’ve experienced. I’ve limited the following list to well-known artists. Bills with more than two acts and festivals were also disqualified.

• B.B. King and Bobby “Blue” Bland- Uptown Theater (1979)

• Pretenders and Steel Pulse- Uptown Theater (1981)

• The Hold Steady and Art Brut- The Granada (2007)

• Bonnie “Prince” Billy and Michael Hurley at Aladdin Theater (2023)

• Lionel Richie and Earth, Wind & Fire at the T-Mobile Center (2024)

The idea for this post came to me two hours ago while on a walk in Portland. I’m almost certainly failing to recall many equally rewarding concerts. I haven’t bothered to fact-check either, so the details may be incorrect. Here’s hoping Parker and SML will come through with a performance that will merit placement on a future list of exceptional double bills.

Burning Brains: The Top Fifty Songs of 2024

Original image by There Stands the Glass.

My musical predilections were more informed by recent obsessions than by global events this year. I traced the footsteps of Mozart, flirted with Catholicism, read compulsively and watched the lines in my face deepen into chasms. Creeping maturity is evinced by several of the selections below. Yet my affinity for carefree fun clearly has yet to evaporate. As always, there’s no artist overlap on my songs and albums lists. A corresponding Spotify playlist is here.

1. Tierra Whack- “Burning Brains”

2. Charli XCX and Lorde- “Girl, so confusing”

3. Heems featuring Vijay Iyer and Sid Vashi- "Manto"

4. Meshell Ndgegeocello- "Travel"

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

6. Tank and the Bangas featuring Samara Joy and Robert Glasper- "Remember"

7. Maxo Kream and Tyler, The Creator- "Cracc Era"

8. Sexyy Red- "Get It Sexyy"

9. Tinashe- "Nasty"

10. Joaquín Sabina- “Un última vals”

11. Mary J. Blige- “Here I Am”

12. A$AP Rocky featuring Jessica Pratt- “Highjack”

13. 070 Shake- “Winter Baby/New Jersey Blues”

14. Amyl and the Sniffers- “U Should Not Be Doing That”

15. Tyler, The Creator featuring GloRilla, Sexyy Red and Lil Wayne- “Sticky”

16. Rosalía and Ralphie Choo- “Omega”

17. Horsegirl- “2468”

18. Ella Langley- “Hungover”

19. The Harlem Gospel Travelers- “Jesus Rhapsody, Pt. 1”

20. El Cousteau featuring Earl Sweatshirt- “Words2LiveBy”

21. GloRilla- “Yeah Glo!”

22. Hiatus Kaiyote- “Telescope”

23. Anna Butterss- “Shorn”

24. Marsha Ambrosius- "Wet"

25. Jeff Parker ETA IVtet- “Freakadelic”

26. Camila Cabello featuring Playboi Carti- “I LUV IT”

27. Michael Kiwanuka- “Lowdown (part 1)”

28. Scott H. Biram- “Inside a Bar”

29. Waxahatchee- “Burns Out at Midnight”

30. Ducks Ltd.- “On Our Way to the Rave”

31. Carly Pearce- “Fault Line”

32. La Luz- “Always in Love”

33. The Weeknd featuring Anitta- "São Paulo"

34. Staples Jr. Singers- “I’ve Got a Feeling”

35. Arooj Aftab- “Raat Ki Rani”

36. That Mexican OT featuring DaBaby- “Point Em Out”

37. Miranda Lambert- “Alimony”

38. Hinds- “En Forma”

39. DannyLux- “Maldito Alcohol”

40. JD McPherson- “Shining Like Gold”

41. Lainey Wilson- “Keep Up With Jones”

42. Nettspend- “Perc Soda”

43. Sprints- “Heavy”

44. Bonnie “Prince” Billy- “London May”

45. Yahritza Y Su Esencia featuring Michelle Maciel- “Nivel Dios”

46. Idles- “Gift Horse”

47. Madi Diaz- “God Person”

48. Dwight Yoakam and Post Malone- “I Don’t Know How to Say Goodbye (Bang Bang Boom Boom)”

49. Sierra Ferrell- “I Could Drive You Crazy”

50. Kabin Crew and Lisdoonvarna Crew- “The Spark”

There Stands the Glass’ top albums and songs of 2023 are ranked here.

Album Reviews: Anteloper’s Pink Dolphins, I Am’s Beyond and Bennie Maupin and Adam Nussbaum’s Symphonic Tone Poem for Brother Yusef

Three sets of improvisational duos go out… way out, on new albums.  Jaime Branch has injected vital punk energy into the improvised music scene during the past several years.  The trumpeter puts her healthy irreverence to good use in Anteloper, a collaboration with percussionist Jason Nazary.  Thanks to the deft production of Jeff Parker, the wavy Pink Dolphins might even appeal to fans of Animal Collective.

Reading Tony Whyton’s Beyond a Love Supreme: John Coltrane and the Legacy of an Album last week put me in the proper headspace for I Am’s Beyond.  Saxophonist Isaiah Collier and drummer Michael Shekwoaga Ode channel the polarizing 1967 album Interstellar Space with uncompromising ferocity.

Skronky but slightly less confrontational, Symphonic Tone Poem for Brother Yusef features the veteran innovators Bennie Maupin and Adam Nussbaum.  Mixing electronics with organic sounds, the saxophonist and percussionist pay tribute to the late Yusef Lateef.  Pink Dolphins and Beyond are very good, but the old guys show the kids how it’s done in their exceptional ancient-to-the-future collaboration.