That very fine keysman Robert Glasper has a UK trio tour and a brand new album coming our way this summer.
First up, the Blue Note recording Covered arrives on June 16.
Then during August he’ll play:
Manchester Jazz Festival [August 8]; Brecon Jazz Festival [9]; Edinburgh International Festival [10]; London – Ronnie Scott’s [12-14]
The new live band sees him joined by bassist Vicente Archer and drummer Damion Reid, both of whom performed on Glasper’s first two Blue Note albums, Canvas (2005) and In My Element (2007). They’re on Covered too.
The project was cut at the legendary Capitol Studios in Hollywood, California in December 2014 before a live audience. The set-list features songs by hip-hop and R&B stars like Kendrick Lamar, John Legend, Musiq Soulchild and Bilal alongside the jazz standard Stella By Starlight. There are also tunes by Radiohead and Joni Mitchell, along with a collaboration with legendary singer/activist Harry Belafonte. Glasper originals on the album include a re-working of I Don’t Even Care, a bonus track from Black Radio 2 that featured Macy Gray and Jean Grae.