Black Radio, the latest offering from Jazz pianist, Robert Glasper is a hodge-podge of jazz-rock-soul. The one time schoolmate of this electrifying entertainer sat down with Essence to chat about the album and preserving the legacy of jazz music.
Here is Robert in his own words:
Glasper on being compared to Miles Davis: It’s a natural progression for me, just like him. He always wanted to keep it moving and do new things and take from his surroundings. That’s the way to keep your fan base current and hip. Jazz needs to do that — otherwise you’ll be playing old music and the only people who are gonna have any kind of connection will be be old people. I definitely think it’s important to play music that’s of my generation because that’s what I’m close to.
Glasper on mixing music genres on Black Radio: I wanted to do covers that people knew. I chose “Cherish the Day” because whether you’re Black, White or whatever, most people love Sade. And then with a song like Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit,” that’s a rock song that everyone knows. And I’ve always heard Erykah Badu singing a jazz standard, so I asked her to do “Afro Blue.”
Click here for the full interview