Robert Glasper Experiment

PUBLISHED March 2nd, 2014 02:58 pm | UPDATED May 9th, 2018 03:13 am

‘Robert Glasper Experiment specializes in deep, immersive grooves, nourished as much by hip-hop and R&B as any known species of jazz.’ – ArtsBeat, The New York Times, 2012.

‘The ingenious, swinging, syncopated science of the Robert Glasper Experiment will no doubt make the 21st century reintegration of jazz aesthetic into pop radio a reality.’
– allaboutjazz, 2012.

Reared in a household where Motown, R&B and gospel were constant companions, Robert Glasper had a truly musical upbringing as he followed in his mother’s footsteps and began playing piano in church and accompanying on her jazz and blues club dates in Houston, all by the time he turned 12.

Sharpening his prodigal chops at the Houston High School for the Performing Arts and the New School University, Glasper allowed his developing affinity for pop, hip hop and rock to inform his musical sensibilities. By 2003, Glasper had already racked up spots in the bands of prominent jazz artists such as Christian McBride, Kenny Garrett, Terence Blanchard and Roy Hargrove. He simultaneously performed jazz while taking gigs as a touring musician and musical director for artists such as Maxwell, Yasiin Bey, Q-Tip, and Bilal.

In 2004, he became an artist in his own right and released a series of jazz albums including Double-Booked (2009), his first Grammy-nominated effort. In 2012, he released Black Radio, featuring the likes of Erykah Badu, Lupe Fiasco, Lalah Hathaway and Meshell Ndegeocello, to a maelstrom of critical acclaim and received a Grammy for Best R&B Album. This paved the way for the similarly acclaimed 2013 follow-up Black Radio 2, with a collaborative roster that includes Brandy, Common, Patrick Stump, Jill Scott and Emeli Sandé.

Glasper declares, ‘Black music is the house that has many rooms: jazz, blues, gospel, R&B, rock, hip-hop, and the list goes on. I’m just visiting all those rooms. It’s my mansion; it’s our mansion. I don’t have to exclude anything. With that said, who knows where I’ll go next.’

Buy tickets [here](http://www.esplanade.com/whats_on/programme_info/mosaic_2014_robert_glasper_experiment/index.jsp)