June 2026 Recap: A Monthly Exercise in Critical Transparency

Screenshot of the trailer for Glyndebourne’s production of Claudio Monteverdi’s L’Orfeo by There Stands the Glass.

The Top Ten Albums of June 2026
1. SML- Spontaneous Music Live
One of my favorite bands doing a few of my favorite things.

2. Ambrose Akinmusire and Mary Halvorson- Slo-Mo Neon Luminate Hoverings
Interspatial.

3. Patricia Brennan and Sylvie Courvoisier- Talamanti
Crystal silences.

4. Zoh Amba- Eyes Full
My review.

5. James Brandon Lewis- Omni
With Aruán Ortiz, Brad Jones and Chad Taylor.

6. Alden Hellmuth- Tether
With Logan Kane, Miller Wrenn and Justin Brown.

7. Tierra Whack- Whack’s Museum
Whack-a-Mole.

8. Converge- Hum of Heart
My preferred form of rock.

9. BCMC- Stash
My review.

10. Vince Staples- Cry Baby
Undermined by unfortunate production choices.

The Top Ten Reissues and Reimaginings of June 2026
1. Peggy Lee- Too Marvelous for Words
Swinging in 1955.

2. Heiner Goebbels- Walden
A bonkers Thoreau-themed song cycle recorded in 1998.

3. Mekons- Horrorble: Mekons vs. Tony Maimone in Dub Conference 
Remix of the 2025 album Horror.

The Top Ten Songs of June 2026
1. Al Xapo and Benzoo- “Fosta Fosta”
Party in South Africa.

2. Rapsody- "God Gotta Afro"
Natural.

3. Rico Nasty- “Rituals”
Transgressive sacraments.

4. Maxo Kream- “6 Months Clean”
Relapse.

5. Ye featuring Don Toliver- "OK"
KO.

6. horsegiirL- "that's my beach"
Quicksand.

7. Charli xcx- “Wink Wink”
Ha ha.

8. 1010benja- “The Whole Damn World (Ain’t Dry Enough…)"
Soaked.

9. Tinishe- “Too Easy”
Simple.

10. Joyce and Tutty Moreno- “Is This Love?”
What the world needs now.

The Top Ten Performances of June 2026
1. By Storm and Lerado Khalil at the Encore Room
My review.

2. Cimafunk at FIFA Fan Festival KC
My review.

3. Christian Death, Gene Loves Jezebel and Descartes a Kant at recordBar
My review.

4. American Wild Ensemble at White Recital Hall
My Instagram snapshot.

5. Paul Simon at Starlight Theatre
My review.

6. Ensemble Ibérica at Polsky Theatre
My Instagram snapshot.

7. Miles Swaminathan at St. Michael & All Angels Episcopal Church
My Instagram snapshot.

8. Elisha Israel and Az-One at Thompson Park
My Instagram clip.

9. Made in France at Market at Meadowbrook
My Instagram clip.

10. The Vincents at Meadowbrook Park Festival
My Instagram clip.

The previous monthly recap is here.

The Top Reissues and Reimaginings of 2025

A bundle of cassettes containing unreleased Bruce Springsteen studio recordings was one of my most cherished possessions in the 1980s. Much of that material was officially released this year. Springsteen’s buried treasures meant more to me decades ago, but the following ranking reflects the sustained value of the illicit cache. Hours of obscure Sun Ra sounds also saw the light of day in 2025. I acknowledge that embarrassment of riches with only one listing. Caveat: I have yet to tackle new collections of rarities by icons including Anthony Braxton, Bob Dylan, Rahsaan Roland Kirk and the Who.

1. Bruce Springsteen- Tracks II: The Lost Albums
Perfect world.

2. Bruce Springsteen- Nebraska ‘82: Expanded Edition
Reason to believe.

3. Moor Mother- Analog Fluids of Sonic Black Holes
An orchestral reimagining of her 2019 album.

4. Anat Fort- The Dreamworld of Paul Motian
The pianist with Steve Cardenas, Garry Wang and Matt Wilson.

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

6. James Newton Quartet- Live in Willisau Switzerland 1983
The flautist with Geri Allen, Anthony Cox and Andrew Cyrille.

7. Larry June, 2 Chainz and the Alchemist- Life Is Beautiful: Chopped But Not Slopped
A lost art.

8. Nick Drake- The Making of Five Leaves Left
Time has told me.

9. Makaya McCraven- Off the Record!
His four 2025 EPs compiled.

10. Joni Mitchell- Joni's Jazz
One side now.

11. Cecil Taylor and Tony Oxley- Flashing Spirits
Spectral sounds from 1988.

12. Irène Schweizer, Rüdiger Carl, Johnny Dyani and Han Bennink- Irène's Hot Four
Improvisational madness from 1981.

13. Charles Mingus- Mingus in Argentina: The Buenos Aires Concerts
A glorious mess from 1977.

14. Sun Ra- Uncharted Passages: New York Piano Soliloquies 1977-79
Solo.

15. Sviatoslav Richter- The Lost Tapes: Beethoven: Sonatas Nos. 18, 27, 28 & 31
My review.

16. Peggy Lee- Mirrors: Expanded Edition
Existential art songs.

17. Kassa Overall- CREAM
My review.

18. Tedeschi Trucks Band and Leon Russell Present- Mad Dogs and Englishmen Revisited: Live at Lockn’
Feelin’ alright.

19. Willie Nelson- Oh What a Beautiful World
Willie on Rodney.

20. Art Pepper- Geneva 1980
Bird lived.

21. Rima Khcheich- Ya Man Itha: Tribute to Fouad Abdel Maheed
The Lebanese vocalist interprets the Egyptian composer.

22. Don Letts- The Rebel Dread at Echo Beach
Reggae party.

23. Branford Marsalis Quartet- Belonging
A fresh take on Keith Jarrett’s 1974 album.

24. Willie Nelson- Workin’ Man: Willie Sings Merle
Swinging doors.

25. Sister Irene O’Connor- Fire of God’s Love
Zany but persuasive gospel.

October 2025 Recap: A Monthly Exercise in Critical Transparency

Screenshot of the trailer for the Metropolitan Opera’s production of Vincenzo Bellini’s “La Sonnambula” by There Stands the Glass.

The Top Ten Albums of October 2025*
1. Clarice Jensen- In holiday clothing, out of the great darkness
Bach-based drones.

2. Patricia Brennan- Of the Near and Far
Infinite.

3. Laura Jurd- Rites & Revelations
New rituals.

4. Charles Lloyd- Figure in Blue
Rapturous sketches.

5. Jakob Bro, Wadada Leo Smith and Marcus Gilmore- Murasaki
Wadada #1.

6. Sylvie Courvoisier and Wadada Leo Smith- Angel Falls
Wadada #2.

7. Militarie Gun- God Save the Gun
Firepower.

8. Yazmin Lacey- Teal Dreams
Think Jill Scott, not KC Current.

9. Meredith Monk- Cellular Songs
Primordial.

10. The Necks- Disquiet
Unsettling.

*October 31 releases excluded.

The Top Three Reissues, Reimaginings and Compilations of October 2025
1. Bruce Springsteen- Nebraska ‘82: Expanded Edition
Reasons to believe.

2. Peggy Lee- Mirrors: Expanded Edition
Existentialism courtesy of Leiber and Stoller.

3. JPEGMAFIA and Danny Brown- Scaring the Hoes: Director's Cut
Refreshed version of the disruptive 2023 classic.

The Top Ten Songs of October 2025
1. Nathy Peluso featuring Rawayana- “Malportada”
Bad behavior.

2. Gabito Ballesteros and Fuerza Regida- “Chrome Hearts”
Shiny.

3. Amadou & Mariam- “Bienvenue à la maison”
A fond farewell.

4. SML- “Chicago Four”
Big shoulders.

5. Say She She- “Shop Boy”
C’est chic.

6. Robert Glasper featuring Norah Jones- “Prototype”
Two of a kind.

7. СОЮЗ featuring Tim Bernardes- “Lingua Do Mundo”
Belarus meets Brazil.

8. Silvana Estrada- “El Alma Mia”
Ooh! My soul.

9. Mobb Deep featuring Clipse- “Look at Me”
Seen.

10. Dave- “My 27th Birthday”
The party’s over.

The Top Ten Performances of October 2025
1. Brad Mehldau and Christian McBride at Muriel Kauffman Theatre
My review.

2. Terence Blanchard at Muriel Kauffman Theatre
My review.

3. Angela Hewitt at the Folly Theater
My Instagram snapshot.

4. Militarie Gun, Liquid Mike and Public Opinion at the Bottleneck
My Instagram clip.

5. Destroyer and Jennifer Castle at Warehouse on Broadway
My review.

6. Matt Villinger, Peter Schlamb, Sebastian Arias and Matt Robertson at the Blue Room
My Instagram clip.

7. Pete Escovedo at the Folly Theater
My notes.

8. Michael Shults, Dan Velicer, Dawson Coleman and Andrew Ouellette at Polsky Theatre
My Instagram snapshot.

9. Angela Hewitt’s masterclass at White Recital Hall
My Instagram snapshot.

10. Susan and William Goldenberg at Asbury United Methodist Church
My Instagram clip.

The previous monthly recap is here.