Houston native Robert Glasper presents a cogent blend of hip-hop, soul and jazz in his latest release, Double Booked.
Double Booked includes Glasper’s original work and interpretations of old standards from jazz legends Herbie Hancock and Thelonious Monk.
Tunes like Hancock’s ‘Butterfly’ have been re-finished, featuring flowing grooves and smooth harmonies that reflect Glasper’s contemporary style and sensibility.
His piano playing skills have gained recognition in the hip-hop community, landing him collaborations with notable artists such as Jay-Z, Erykah Badu and Talib Kweli.
Glasper said playing piano at church when he was growing up was a large part of his development into a successful musician. ‘
‘It definitely just gave me that sensitivity, and knowing how to reach people and knowing how to be in tune with your feelings and the emotion of the music,’ Glasper said.’
Double Booked lends its title to Glasper’s idea of featuring two projects on one album. The first half of the album is ‘The Robert Glasper Trio,’ an acoustic outfit with Chris Dave on drums and Vincente Archer on bass.
Songs with titles such as ‘Yes I’m Country (And That’s OK)’ and ’59 South’ reflect Glasper’s respect for where he comes from and the large influence it still has on his musical creativity.
The second half of the album displays Glasper’s experimental side, appropriately dubbing this project ‘The Robert Glasper Experiment.’ ‘
This section includes inventive instruments such as a keytar connected to a vocoder, which was an early predecessor of ‘auto-tune’. ‘
The use of such instruments illustrates Glasper’s remarkable ability to carefully fuse genre with generations.’
Houston’s climate and diverse culture have always forced individuals to adapt and meld the viewpoints of the entire globe. This, combined with Glasper’s potential to represent one of the world’s most musically underrated cities, is what makes Double Booked so promising.
