Album Review: Sullivan Fortner- Leave That In There

Something was missing each of the several times I’ve attended a performance by Sullivan Fortner. The pianist was never less than masterful, but even when I sat a few feet from the pianist at Mezzrow in 2017, I got the sense that Fortner was holding back.

The promise Fortner previously bottled up is spilled on Leave That In There. Accompanied by bassist Tyrone Allen II and drummer Kayvon Gordon on the new plugged-in album, Fortner lets his freak flag fly. Even the organ jazz workouts “Swirl” and “Aria II” are trippy.

I hope Fortner isn’t in a hurry to return to conventional mainstream jazz. When he does revisit the sound that made his reputation, I’m confident the newly liberated Fortner will elect “to leave that in there.”

Concert Review: Zoh Amba and Bijoux Cone at Show Bar

Original image of Zoe Amba and band by There Stands the Glass.

A genuine rock 'n' roll high school, Revolution Hall is a former Portland public school converted into an entertainment emporium. A Taylor Swift-themed dance party was the primary attraction at the complex on Thursday, September 4. I was bemused to find myself amid hundreds of cheerful women wearing spangled dresses.

Show Bar, a small room in Revolution Hall, attracted fifty substantially grungier and gloomier people who paid $20 apiece for a show featuring Zoh Amba and Bijoux Cone. Even though Amba’s Eyes Full is one of my favorite non-jazz, non-classical albums of 2026, I passed on a chance to catch Amba open for Courtney Barnett in Kansas City last month.

I began smiling ten seconds into an explosive hour-long performance by Amba’s trio and am still on a post-show high as I write these words two days later. Amba resembled the young Rodney Crowell while the feral attack often sounded much like 1984-era Minutemen. As a bonus, Amba played a few minutes of free jazz skronk.

Cone lacked Amba’s heedless confidence. Splitting the difference between Anohni and Lou Reed, Cone’s solo outing was marred by frequent references to her phone. Still, the rousing karaoke version of Suicide’s “Surrender” closing Cone’s set provided an appropriate foretaste of Amba’s exceedingly un-Swiftian triumph.

August 2026 Recap: A Monthly Exercise in Critical Transparency

Screenshot of the trailer for Opera Holland Park’s production of Johann Strauss’ “Die Fledermaus” by There Stands the Glass.

The Top Ten Albums of August 2026
1. Linda May Han Oh and Melissa Aldana- Beneath Lifted Skies
Stunning duo #1.

2. Miguel Zenón y Luis Perdomo- El Arte del Bolero, Vol. 3
Stunning duo #2.

3. Skúli Sverrisson and Bill Frisell- For All Your Flowers
My review of stunning duo #3.

4. Sarah Davachi- The Will of Tongues
Deific whispers.

5. Bruce Liu- Lunaris
Celestial piano.

6. Henry Threadgill, Vijay Iyer and Dafnis Prieto- Fifteen
Gold-plated improvisations.

7. Jorja Smith- What Are the Odds
The sweetest taboos.

8. Evil Island- Terraform the Afterlife
My review.

9. Erykah Badu and the Alchemist- Before the World Blows
Faded.

10. Ben Goldberg- Dog Hypnotic, Spillway Four, Optical, Trouble Trouble, For Bobby, Dreaming Upon Waking, Just What You Thought You Wanted and Rock Band
My review.

The Top Three Reissues and Compilations of August 2026
1. The Cramps- Gravest Gravy
Be-bop-a-lula.

2. Iréne Schweizer- Prelude to a Kiss and More
Solo piano at Volkshaus Zürich in 1986.

3. John Williams- Legacy
My review.

The Top Ten Songs of August 2026
1. Denzel Curry and Kenny Beats featuring Yabba- "Difference"
Prog rap.

2. Nicole McCabe and Savannah Harris- "Monstera"
The sound of the moment.

3. Sylvie Courvoisier- "At Risk"
With Patricia Brennan, Thomas Morgan and Dan Weiss.

4. Mike Shabb featuring Mike- “Dontsweatit!”
Swampy.

5. Fat Joe, Pusha T and Dre- “Set of Keys”
Unlocked.

6. Ela Minus & Nick León- "qué les pasó a mis amigos?"
Fast friends.

7. Natanael Cano- “Mar Azul”
Asea.

8. Karol G- "Alguien que te amaba"
One of the better tracks from a disappointing album.

9. Lambchop- “Just West of Nicollet”
Darkness.

10. The Odyssey Cult- “Our First Trip”
Freak scene.

The Top Ten Performances of August 2026
1. J. Cole at the T-Mobile Center
My review.

2. French Organ Festival at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception
My Instagram clip.

3. Logan Richardson at the Gem Theater
My review.

4. The Kansas City Symphony with Blake Pouliot at Helzberg Hall
My Instagram snapshot.

5. Steve Cardenas, Forest Stewart and Brian Steever at Ted’s Taproom
My review.

6. Charles Williams, DeAndre Manning and Kenny Watson at First Baptist Church
My Instagram clip.

7. Made in France at French Market
My Instagram clip.

8. David Chael, Aaron Sizemore, Greg Whitfield and John Kizilarmut at Music House
My Instagram clip.

9. Twice on Sunday at Thompson Park
My Instagram snapshot.

10. Jam session at 515 Music Hub
My Instagram snapshot.

The previous monthly recap is here.

Album Review: Evil Island- Terraform the Afterlife

I’ve always been embarrassed for old guys who gradually abandoned their once-fervent passion for rock and roll. Then I hit sixty. The sound of hotly tabbed rock bands like Geese, Wednesday and Wet Leg made me wish I was listening to jazz or classical music during the past several years.

It’s not as if I turned soft. The sudden fashionability of yacht-rock- a form of music for people who don’t like music- mystifies me. Instead, only punk-rooted bands like Militarie Gun and Poison the Well satisfy me. I’m pleased to have stumbled upon a similarly dangerously scuzzy recording.

Terraform the Afterlife rings my bell. The new album by Evil Island makes me feel like a hormonal teenager. The sleazy nihilism of songs like “Death by Cop” is precisely the sort of wild-eyed idiocy I want from rock. The bubblegum screamo of “Tiger Baby” and the Stooges update "Melted Heart" are also gloriously dumb.

"T-Hexx" conveys what I imagine the sensation of a first hit of street meth feels like. “Evil Island Death Cult National Anthem” might be a field holler transmitted from hell by shackled members of the New York Dolls. “Blinding Rage” resembles Royal Trux doing a sea shanty. Thanks partly to Evil Island, I won’t be going gentle into that good night.

My Songs of the Summer

Original image of the Oregon coast, August 2026, by There Stands the Glass.

The annual song of the summer media cycle is inherently ridiculous. I’m playing along this year in order to acknowledge The Popper’s regional hit “Welcome to Kansas City.” As it's a humid 85 degrees as I type these words at 10 a.m., the doom jazz, solo piano and avant-garde improvisations I ordinarily favor are as appealing as a tall glass of milk. Consequently, ten frothy songs including sweltering covers of classics by the Human League, Robert Earl Keen and Nelly claim spots on my short list of ebullient favorites.

1. The Popper- “Welcome to Kansas City”
Landmark that!

2. Don Toliver- “Gemstone”
Glittery.

3. Al Xapo- “Fosta Fosta”
Blistering.

4. Meshell Ndegeocello featuring Cat Power- “Don’t You Want Me”
This much is true.

5. Shenseea- “Brucksweat”
Scorching.

6. Charli xcx- "Wink Wink"
Eyes wide open..

7. Turnpike Troubadours featuring Sierra Hull- “Feeling Good Again”
Happy hour.

8. Karol G- “Matadora”
From her disappointing new album.

9. Oscar Maydon- “Sinaloka”
From his glorious summer-themed new album. 

10. The Booyah! Kids- “rwm”
Must be the money.

March 2026 Recap: A Monthly Exercise in Critical Transparency

Screenshot of the trailer for Opéra Comique’s production of Matthias Pintscher’s “Nuit sans aube” by There Stands the Glass.

The Top Ten Albums of March 2026
1. Irreversible Entanglements- Future Present Past
Stellar vibrations.

2. Ye- Bully
All is not forgiven, but Bully is undeniably excellent.

3. Alex Isley- When the City Sleeps
Diamond life.

4. Adam O’Farrill- ELEPHANT
Big ears.

5. Sylvie Courvoisier- Éclats: Live in Europe
With Drew Gress and Kenny Wollesen.

6. Mike Will Made-It- R3SET
A cavalcade of stars.

7. Immanuel Wilkins Quartet- Live at the Village Vanguard, Vol. 1 
Ascension.

8. Dave Adewumi- The Flame Beneath the Silence 
With Joel Ross, Linda May Oh Han and Marcus Gilmore.

9. Jorge Drexler- Taracá
MPB via Uruguay.

10. Lise Davidsen- Live at the Met
A reprehensible recording of a ripping recital.

The Top Three Reissues and Reimaginings of March 2026
1. Alice Sara Ott- Jóhann Jóhannsson: Piano Works
Solo piano renderings.

2. Aerosmith- Aerosmith: Legendary Expanded Edition
The lines on his face have never been clearer.

3. Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra- Let Freedom Swing
History geeks and freedom fighters only.

The Top Ten Songs of March 2026
1. aja monet featuring Meshell Ndegeocello and Georgia Anne Muldrow- “elsewhere”
Heavenly.

2. Gabrielle Cavassa- “Angelo”
Swoonworthy.

3. Leikeli47- "Bad Guy"
Beez in the trap.

4. Jessie Ware- “Automatic”
Instinctive.

5. CA7RIEL & Paco Amoroso- “Ha Ha”
Hee haw.

6. Vince Gill- "Lonely's What I Do"
He’s gonna fill their shoes.

7. Jim Lauderdale- “We Don’t See You Anymore”
Long gone.

8. Luke Combs- “Alcohol of Fame”
There stands the glass.

9. Elucid featuring Shabaka- "Equiano"
“The Interesting Narrative of…”

10. Dry Socket- “The Chop”
Portland hardcore.

The Top Ten Performances of March 2026
Due to a transformative life event, I attended only six performances in March.

The previous monthly recap is here.

Elegant Soul

I was exposed to terrestrial radio in an Uber last week. My Eritrean driver kept time on his steering wheel as KMHD aired the impossibly groovy “Book of Slim” from Gene Harris & The Three Sounds’ aptly titled 1968 album Elegant Soul. Boy oh boy, it sounded good! While I was unfamiliar with the Blue Note Records release, it would appear that plenty of people are enjoying the orchestral merger of jazz and soul. “Book of Slim” has racked up almost seven million streams on Spotify. There was a time when I would have dismissed the sound as shameless pandering. I know better now. And speaking of missing out, get a load of KMHD’s playlist as I type these words. Portland is a magical place. I need to get my hands on a radio.

Concert Review: Omar Sosa, Seckou Keita and Gustavo Ovalles at The Old Church

Original image by There Stands the Glass.

A celebrated trio of Cuban, Senegalese and Venezuelan musicians made the right music at the perfect time at The Old Church on Thursday, March 12. I shuttled to the venue in downtown Portland from an expectant situation at a hospital.

Performing joyous music intended to provide devotional uplift and sensual stimulation, Omar Sosa, Seckou Keita and Gustavo Ovalles fortified me with courage and positivity for almost two hours. I paid $35 to join the near-capacity audience of about 250 to hear the ensemble also known as SUBA Trio.

The blend of Afro-Cuban funk, spiritual jazz and West African roots music was bolstered by uncommon showmanship. Crowd-pleasing antics were balanced by Ovalles’ righteous rhythms, Sosa’s spectacular jazz chops and Keita’s kora mastery and heavenly voice. The latter element intertwined with my fervent prayers.

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.

Concert Review: claire rousay and Gretchen Korsmo at Holocene

Original image by There Stands the Glass.

I wondered how even the most enthusiastic fans of ambient music would manage to remain standing for two or three hours at a concert by claire rousay and Gretchen Korsmo at Holocene on Thursday, November 6. Light attendance and exceedingly brief performances made my concerns a mute point.

Folding chairs surrounding the dimly-lit makeshift stage accommodated the approximately 60 people who paid a $25 cover. Korso played 20 minutes. rousay played 45 minutes. The brevity of the sets made the evening seem like a glorified meet-and-greet. Dozens of devotees lined up to interact with rousay after the show.

The little music that was heard was excellent. In addition to fiddling with laptops and pushing buttons, both artists applied live instrumentation to pre-recorded sounds.

I was pleased when Rousay launched into the self-diss track "somehow" from her excellent new album a little death. Yet an explanation of the mysterious track wasn’t offered. I regret not joining the post-show queue to demand rousay dissect the song for me.