Robert Glasper : NPR

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The 50 Best Albums Of 2022 (50-41)

December 12, 2022 • We ranked our 50 favorite records of the year, from hip-hop to classical and everything in between.

Amber Mark's Three Dimensions Deep is one of NPR Music's top 20 R&B albums of 2022. Photo Illustration: Jackie Lay/NPR/Scott Dudelson/Getty Images hide caption

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Photo Illustration: Jackie Lay/NPR/Scott Dudelson/Getty Images

The 20 Best R&B Albums of 2022

December 7, 2022 • In 2022, R&B rediscovered its place in the club, pushed into the outer reaches of space, found and lost love (as always) and relished the beauty of the Black experience.

NPR Music's 36 Favorite Songs of 2022 (So Far)

Saba (left), Lizzo (center) and Rosalía have released some of our favorite songs of the year so far. Collage by Estefanía Mitre / NPR/Photos courtesy of the artists hide caption

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Collage by Estefanía Mitre / NPR/Photos courtesy of the artists

NPR Music's 36 Favorite Songs of 2022 (So Far)

June 27, 2022 • The songs we love from the first half of the year span a wide emotional and musical range, from wild percussive romps to raw pleas for empathy to Beyoncé's command to leave it all on the dance floor.

New Music Friday: The top 5 albums out on Feb. 25

Robert Glasper's Black Radio III top's our shortlist for the best new albums out this week. Mancy Gant/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Mancy Gant/Courtesy of the artist

New Music Friday: The top 5 albums out on Feb. 25

February 25, 2022 • Robert Glasper returns this week with Black Radio III, the latest in his ongoing fusion of jazz, rap, hip-hop and R&B. Other notable albums this week include new ones from SASMI, EARTHGANG and more.

New Music Friday: The top 5 albums out on Feb. 25

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Mancy Gant/Courtesy of the artist

Robert Glasper, 'Black Superhero'

WBGO

January 13, 2022 • Glasper's piano sets a chiming gospel loop, over which Killer Mike and Big K.R.I.T. rap verses about perseverance and positivity.

For the jazz community, 2021 proved that improvisation is a life strategy

Common and keyboardist Robert Glasper Noam Galai/Getty Images for Tribeca Film Fe hide caption

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Noam Galai/Getty Images for Tribeca Film Fe

For the jazz community, 2021 proved that improvisation is a life strategy

WBGO

December 20, 2021 • WBGO's Nate Chinen reflects on the year in jazz.

Jazz Night's Favorite Grooves Of 2021, So Far

Jazz artist Nate Smith performing in the Netherlands. Smith's song "Square Wheel" feat. Kokayi and Michael Mayo was one of Jazz Night's favorites of the first half of the year. Peter Van Breukelen/Redferns hide caption

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Peter Van Breukelen/Redferns

Best Music Of 2021

Jazz Night's Favorite Grooves Of 2021, So Far

July 21, 2021 • This year, our ears have been craving songs that made us move – think of these 2021 releases as songs to play as we "return to outside."

Tiny Desk Playlist: 2021 Grammy Winners Who've Stopped By The Tiny Desk, Vol. 1

H.E.R. performs a Tiny Desk Concert on Nov. 8, 2018. Cameron Pollack/NPR hide caption

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Cameron Pollack/NPR

Tiny Desk Playlists

Tiny Desk Playlist: 2021 Grammy Winners Who've Stopped By The Tiny Desk, Vol. 1

March 15, 2021 • The Tiny Desk space — both at the D.C. office and now in our (home) concert series — has been host to several Grammy winners over the last 13 years.

Illustration: Rae Pozdro for NPR

Best Music Of 2020

The 100 Best Songs Of 2020 (Nos. 80-61)

December 3, 2020 • Think of these 100 songs (Nos. 80-61 here) as a silver linings playlist for the worst year of our collective lives.

Heavy Rotation: 10 Songs Public Radio Can't Stop Playing

Jorja Smith's cover of the song "Rose Rouge" is featured in July's edition of Heavy Rotation. Rashidi Noah/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Rashidi Noah/Courtesy of the artist

World Cafe

Heavy Rotation: 10 Songs Public Radio Can't Stop Playing

August 1, 2020 • This month, NPR member stations bring you a mix of the most popular songs playing on their airwaves, featuring music from Jorja Smith, Taylor Swift, Fontaines D.C. and more.

The 2010s: A Jazz Revival In Black Music

Pianist and producer Robert Glasper has spent much of the past decade reconnecting jazz with popular black music, transforming the work of artists like rapper Kendrick Lamar, Flying Lotus and Brittany Howard. Peter Van Breukelen/Redferns/Getty Images hide caption

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All Songs Considered

The 2010s: A Jazz Revival In Black Music

November 4, 2019 • Pianist and producer Robert Glasper is on a mission to reconnect jazz with black music. In the past decade he's helped transform the work of artists like Kendrick Lamar, Brittany Howard and more.

The 2010s: A Jazz Revival In Black Music

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Robert Glasper On How To Get More Young People Into Jazz

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Courtesy of Robert Glasper

What's Good with Stretch & Bobbito

Robert Glasper On How To Get More Young People Into Jazz

November 21, 2018 • The virtuosic jazz keyboardist joins Stretch & Bobbito for a wide-ranging conversation about his earliest music memories, the first time he met Dr. Dre and why he's trying to get more young people into jazz music.

Robert Glasper On How To Get More Young People Into Jazz

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August Greene's self-titled debut is out March 9 on Amazon Music. Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Courtesy of the artist

Review

First Listen

Review: August Greene, 'August Greene'

March 5, 2018 • August Greene, the supergroup featuring Common, Karriem Riggins and Robert Glasper, peers at the state of the black union through a jazzy, hip-hop lens.

Common Welcomes Brandy, Andra Day To Special Tiny Desk Concert

August Green performs a Tiny Desk Concert on Feb. 12, 2018 (Eslah Attar/NPR). Eslah Attar/NPR hide caption

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Tiny Desk

Common Welcomes Brandy, Andra Day To Special Tiny Desk Concert

February 21, 2018 • August Greene, Common's new trio with Robert Glasper and Karriem Riggins, brought some special guest vocalists to the Tiny Desk.

Common, Karriem Riggins, Robert Glasper And Brandy Unite On 'Optimistic'

Robert Glasper, Common and Karriem Riggins will release their debut album as August Greene this March. B+/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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B+/Courtesy of the artist

Review

Songs We Love

Common, Karriem Riggins, Robert Glasper And Brandy Unite On 'Optimistic'

January 18, 2018 • Common, Karriem Riggins and Robert Glasper form August Greene and share its first single as a trio.

Watch Robert Glasper And Bilal At NPR Music's 10th Anniversary Concert

Robert Glasper and Bilal perform at NPR Music's 10th Anniversary Concert in Washington, D.C. Beck Harlan / NPR hide caption

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Beck Harlan / NPR

All Songs Considered

Watch Robert Glasper And Bilal At NPR Music's 10th Anniversary Concert

December 20, 2017 • At NPR Music's 10th Anniversary Concert at the 9:30 Club in Washington, D.C., Glasper came to play, bringing Derrick Hodge on electric bass, Justin Tyson, on drums and Bilal on vocals.

Aww Yeah, Summertime — With The Robert Glasper Experiment

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Jazz Night In America: The Radio Program

Aww Yeah, Summertime — With The Robert Glasper Experiment

August 11, 2017 • This special summer festival episode features a clever synthesis of hip-hop, R&B and soul, recorded live across two music festivals in New York City.

Aww Yeah, Summertime — With The Robert Glasper Experiment

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Robert Glasper explains why hip-hop producers gravitate towards jazz samples. NPR hide caption

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NPR

Best of NPR Video

'Jazz Is The Mother Of Hip-Hop': How Sampling Connects Genres

Jazz at Lincoln Center

April 19, 2017 • Watch pianist Robert Glasper demonstrate how three samples from jazz tracks by Ahmad Jamal and Herbie Hancock served as source material for famed hip-hop producers J Dilla and Pete Rock.

Sexism From Two Leading Jazz Artists Draws Anger — And Presents An Opportunity

Anonymous (male) jazz players. Markus Amon/Getty Images hide caption

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Markus Amon/Getty Images

The Record

Sexism From Two Leading Jazz Artists Draws Anger — And Presents An Opportunity

March 9, 2017 • A conversation between two leading jazz musicians led to a public debate over misogyny in the form on International Women's Day.

The Robert Glasper Experiment, 'Day To Day' (Live)

Robert Glasper Brian Lowe/KCRW hide caption

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Brian Lowe/KCRW

Favorite Sessions

The Robert Glasper Experiment, 'Day To Day' (Live)

KCRW

December 29, 2016 • Glasper's quartet keeps building on its genre-hopping mix of jazz, R&B, hip-hop and more.

All Songs +1: Our Most Memorable Tiny Desk Jazz Sets

Clockwise from upper left: Esperanza Spalding, Vijay Iyer, The No BS Brass Band, Robert Glasper NPR hide caption

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NPR

All Songs Considered

All Songs +1: Our Most Memorable Tiny Desk Jazz Sets

November 3, 2016 • Patrick Jarenwattananon, former writer for NPR Music's A Blog Supreme, joins us to talk about the most memorable jazz artists to appear at the Tiny Desk.

All Songs +1: Our Most Memorable Tiny Desk Jazz Sets

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Common: Tiny Desk Concert At The White House

Tiny Desk Concert with Common. Becky Harlan/NPR hide caption

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Becky Harlan/NPR

Tiny Desk

Common: Tiny Desk Concert At The White House

October 4, 2016 • It was an offer we couldn't pass up: The veteran rapper fronting an all-star band at the White House, for the very first Tiny Desk Concert to take place outside NPR's offices.