Orquesta Akokán

July 2026 Recap: A Monthly Exercise in Critical Transparency

Screenshot of the trailer for Gran Teatre del Liceu’s production of Giuseppe Verdi’s “Falstaff” by There Stands the Glass.

The Top Ten Albums of July 2026 (through July 26)
1. Play Time- Magic Object
My review.

2. Lesley Mok- transient
My review.

3. Charli xcx- Music, Fashion, Film
Pop nihilism.

4. Oscar Maydon- Música En Mi Jetski 
The cure for the summertime blues.

5. Matt Otto- Ephemeral
My review.

6. Nu Jazz- Un Jazz
My review.

7. Orquesta Akokán- América!
Mambo!

8. Punch Brothers- The Unsung Adventures of Punch Brothers
Highfalutin pickin’.

9. Willow- The Thread
Arena-jazz.

10. Jack White- Frozen Charlotte
He’s back in Wichita.


The Top Three Reissues and Reimaginings of July 2026 (through July 26)
1. Gary Stewart- One Track Mind
Jukin’.

2. Seamus Blake- EH!: Plays the Music of Eddie Harris
Trying to make it real.

3. Nicholas Payton and Butcher Brown- A Supreme Blue
A bad idea made good.


The Top Ten Songs of July 2026 (through July 26)
1. Shenseea- “Brucksweat”
Sweltering.

2. Larry June and DJ Fresh- “Organic Motion”
Blurry.

3. Tinashe- “Crash Out”
Psychotic reaction.

4. Ken Carson with Playboi Carti- “deaf note”
What?

5. Fathers- “STUB”
Nate Smith, Kiefer, Carrtoons and Kenny Beats.

6. Dinner Party- "Piece of Mind"
Kamasi Washington, Robert Glasper, Terrace Martin and 9th Wonder.

7. Syd featuring James Fauntleroy- "Any Time"
Diamonds and pearls.

8. Nick Hakim- “The Reason”
Slow jam.

9. Show Me the Body- “Do What’s Right (Happy)”
Backsliding.

10. Rome Streetz featuring Westside Gunn- "Marathon Or Race"
Tortoise and hare.


The Top Ten Performances of July 2026 (through July 26)
1. Bob Dylan, Lucinda Williams and John Doe at Starlight Theatre
My review.

2. Extemporaneous Music and Arts Society’s “A Convocation of Exoplanets” at Charlotte Street Foundation
My review.

3. Graham Nash at Muriel Kauffman Theatre
My review.

4. Gerald Spaits’ Sax & Violins at Greenwood Social Hall
My review.

5. Drew Williams, Ben Tervort and Brian Steever at the Ship
My Instagram snapshot.

6. The Overland Park Civic Band at Thompson Park
My Instagram clip.

7. JWB with Ernest Melton at 515 Music Hub
My Instagram clip.

8. Trinity Jazz Ensemble at Prairie Baptist Church
My Instagram clip.

9. Eboni Fondren at Vine Street Brewing
My Instagram snapshot.

10. Sally’s Tomato at Black Dolphin
My Instagram clip.


The previous monthly recap is here.

October 2021 Recap: A Monthly Exercise in Critical Transparency

Screenshot of The Fugitive Kind by There Stands the Glass.

Top Ten Albums (released in October)

1. Fire-Toolz- Eternal Home

A noise supreme.

2. Lana Del Rey- Blue Banisters

Now That’s What I Call Adult Contemporary!

3. Craig Taborn- Shadow Plays

Standing on the shoulders of Keith Jarrett.

4. Daniil Trifonov- Bach: The Art of Life

Living large.

5. Maxo Kream- Weight of the World

“Record deal off a pill!”

6. Charlotte Greve- Sediments We Move

My review.

7. Artifacts Trio- ...And Then There's This

Chicago’s finest.

8. Sylvie Courvoisier and Mary Halvorson- Searching for the Disappeared Hour

The pianist and guitarist clear the room.

9. Jpegmafia- LP!

A firehose of mutinous ideas.

10. Steddy P- SOS: Toxic

KC’s rapper’s convincing comeback.

Top Ten Songs (released in October)

1. Céu- “Chega Mais”

Come closer.

2. Tainy, Bad Bunny and Julieta Venegas- "Lo Siento"

Dream collaboration.

3. Orquesta Akokán- “Guajira Del Mar”

Havana.

4. Badbadnotgood- "City of Mirrors"

Deep reflections.

5. Adele- "Easy On Me"

Drowning.

6. Harriet Krijgh and Magda Amara- “Les chemins de l'amour”

The paths of love.

7. Emily D’Angelo- "A Thousand Tongues"

“Nine and ninety-nine lie.”

8. Angel Du$t with Tim Armstrong- "Dancing on the Radio"

“Like there’s no tomorrow.”

9. Conway the Machine- "Piano Love"

Tuned.

10. Remi Wolf- "wyd"

Preposterous pop.

Top Ten Concerts of October

1. Pat Metheny, James Francies and Joe Dyson- Orchestra Hall (Detroit)

My review.

2. St. Vincent- Grinders KC

My review.

3. Erykah Badu- Midland theater

My review.

4. Marc Anthony- T-Mobile Arena

My review.

5. Asleep at the Wheel- Muriel Kauffman Theatre

My review.

6. Joshua Bell and Alessio Bax- Helzberg Hall

My review.

7. Rod Fleeman- Green Lady Lounge

The guitarist’s weekly matinee is among my favorite things in Kansas City.

8. Flooding- Vinyl Underground

My review.

9. Jeff Kaiser, Kevin Cheli and Seth Davis- Charlotte Street Foundation

My review.

10. Everyday Strangers- Gem Theater

My Instagram clip.


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

1. The Fugitive Kind (1960)

My new favorite movie.

2. Höstsonaten/Autumn Sonata (1978)

Excruciating generational trauma.

3. The Emperor Jones (1933)

Paul Robeson in an adaptation of Eugene O’Neill’s play.

4. Where East is East (1929)

Lon Chaney, Estelle Taylor and Lupe Vélez don't need sound.

5. Mamma Roma (1962)

The continuation of the decline and fall.

6. Flesh and the Devil (1927)

Greta Garbo as femme fatale.

7. Hollywood Barn Dance (1947)

Walkin’ the floor with Ernest Tubb.

8. SAS: Red Notice (2021)

Precisely what I want from a big, dumb action flick.

9. The Seventh Victim (1943)

Kim Hunter confronts a satanic cult in Greenwich Village.

10. The 100-Foot Journey (2004)

Amuse-bouche.

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