IM: WHUSDJ
ON AIR
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Black Radio - Robert Glasper Experiment
There has been a lot of hype and anticipation in the jazz scene over this release. The Robert Glasper Experiment has been forging a new sound that was introduced on his last CD Double Booked. Since then, Glasper had promised to expand this sound by collaborating with other artists from modern urban genres. The result is mind blowing.
I actually didn't think I would like this after hearing a couple of 30 second clips, and not being a big fan of hip-hop. But being a Robert Glasper fan, and reading and listening to all the hype surrounding this release, I couldn't resist picking up this album as soon as it came out.
Glasper creates an entirely new sound within the framework of his jazz roots. This is real genre busting stuff. It defies categorization. It has a unique modern sound all its own. You can hear the influence of Stevie Wonder as well as Herbie Hancock. It is music that draws from urban beats, hip-hop, soul and R&B, yet never looses that moody, spacey feeling that Glasper has cultivated in his previous releases. Chris "Daddy" Dave's drumming is off the charts great on this. He takes what could have been a simple solid beat, and adds all kinds rhythmic changes and accents that you would not expect, but work perfectly within the musical environment that Glasper creates.
Erykah Badu gives Afro Blue a treatment that i imagine Billie Holliday would, had Billie been around in this era. Why Do We Try featuring Stokley Williams has a Stevie Wonder feeling with a deeper complexity that Glasper and Chris Dave bring to the table. Smells Like Teen Spirit breaths fresh life into the Nirvana classic with strange rhythms and electronic effects from the Experiment. Black Radio is a brilliant recording.