"Resting Warrior", the new single from the supergroup R+R=NOW, has that certain Glasperian, balanced sense of sprawl where everyone gets a solo and plays that solo at the top of his game, tapping into a quality in the arranging reminiscent of the sharpest jams on Lionel Loueke's Heritage album which Robert Glasper also produced. It was he who put this spectacular band together … [Read more...]
Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah (Featuring Vic Mensa) – “Freedom is a Word”
Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah is constantly treading the line between innovative and revolutionary. Whether you like him or not, aTunde Adjuah is one of the only neojazzmen going where no one has gone before. Exhibit A, 2017 gave birth to the trumpeter’s Centennial Trilogy, a triple album, which brought him attention not only from all the usual suspects but also from Rolling S … [Read more...]
Nextbop’s Favorite Jazz Albums of 2016
There's no universal theme or overall consensus in jazz this year. No overblown hype machine, no clamoring for a seemingly agreed upon savior, no important trendsetting bucking of past conventions to take on new ones. Artists made art this year, as they do every year, and in the realm of jazz, they made art together. Collaborators collaborated, improvisors improvised. We, … [Read more...]
Derrick Hodge – ‘The Second’
Derrick Hodge lives in a world that most modern jazz musicians can only dream to be a part of. A world where he can afford to take creative risks and still maintain his relevance in the fiercely competitive 21st Century jazz scene. Fortunately these risks frequently pay off, and have led to Grammy Awards, recordings with Robert Glasper, Mulgrew Miller, Clark Terry, Terence … [Read more...]
The Robert Glasper Experiment – “Find You” (Stream)
The Robert Glasper Experiment is back at it with the announcement of their newest LP ArtScience set to drop September 16th on Blue Note. But where do you go following two GRAMMY wins and numerous collaborations with the likes of Erykah Badu, Norah Jones and even Snoop Dogg? "You do you," says Glasper with a chuckle. "People need to hear what the Experiment sounds like, just … [Read more...]