Robert Glasper sounds none the worse for wear after two consecutive days of working into the wee hours shooting his first music video and doing press interviews. In fact, between jokes he’s also channeling his inner Quincy Jones.
“I’m all about taking the best from different genres and different walks of life and putting them together in a really cool way,” he says. “Quincy Jones did it in 1989. Now I feel like I’m doing it in my time period. This is my ‘Back on the Block,’ if you will.”
Glasper is referencing his Oct. 29 Blue Note release, “Black Radio 2,” the sequel to his band’s 2012 breakout “Black Radio.” That album’s ear-opening, genre-blurring mix of jazz, R&B and hip-hop showcased a who’s who including Erykah Badu, Lalah Hathaway, Musiq Soulchild, Chrisette Michele, Ledisi and Lupe Fiasco. It also gave Glasper his first Grammy Award in February for best R&B album.
“We’re just four black jazz musicians who formed a band, love different kinds of music and play everything in our way,” says the keyboardist, whose bandmates are bassist Derrick Hodge, drummer Mark Colenburg and saxophonist/vocoder specialist Casey Benjamin. “Winning wasn’t just for us. It was a statement for everyone who’s playing honest, non-contrived music. We opened some eyes, even record label executives’, to be more accepting of people who are doing something different or innovative.”
That same music-for-music’s-sake spirit pulses throughout “Black Radio 2.” But whereas its predecessor featured several covers including Sade’s “Cherish the Day” and Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit,” “Black Radio 2” showcases 11 originals and only one cover. Providing vocal color is another diverse lineup including Jill Scott (on sensual lead single “Calls”), Fall Out Boy’s Patrick Stump (“I knew I needed a rock voice,” Glasper says of Stump’s turn on the rousing “I Stand Alone” with Common), hot newcomer Emeli Sandé, Norah Jones, Snoop Lion and Marsha Ambrosius. Hathaway is back on the cover song, a riveting version of Stevie Wonder’s “Jesus Children of America.” Actor/poet Malcolm-Jamal Warner delivers a moving spoken-word tribute on the track dedicated to the victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in Connecticut.
Glasper, who wrote all of the music and selected his songwriting collaborators, describes “Black Radio 2” as “more of an R&B album.” Among the cool stories he relates from the sessions: songwriter Andrea Martin “pretty much free-styling” the song she wrote for Anthony Hamilton, the gospel-infused “Yet to Find.” And Bill Withers unexpectedly dropping by to chat and do a spoken intro on a cover of his “Lovely Day” that appears on the set’s deluxe edition.
An iTunes pre-order promotion launched in late August, allowing fans to explore the set’s myriad offerings while engaging in a Complete My Album campaign. Also up for pre-order is the deluxe set with four bonus tracks featuring Eric Roberson, Bilal, Jazmine Sullivan, Jean Grae and Macy Gray.
Several lyric videos will be posted leading up to release week, complemented by an updated band iPad app. Also in the offing: a major-market headlining tour this year, features in Essence and Upscale magazines, and NPR and TV tie-ins.
But the boldest step is Glasper’s first music video. Directed by Ace Norton, the “Calls” clip will bow at the end of September. “I had to get my stomach crunches in for my D’Angelo scenes,” jokes Glasper, who’s appeared in videos for Q-Tip and Maxwell.
At radio, “Calls” is being worked at adult R&B; it’s No. 24 on Billboard’s Adult R&B chart. An exclusive 10-inch vinyl project, Porter Chops Glasper, featuring a Mr. Porter “Calls” remix, is due on the next Record Store Day (Nov. 29). Capitol Music Group/Blue Note VP of marketing Tara Chiari notes the marketing strategy is designed to “capitalize on Black Radio’s momentum and connect it with Glasper’s ongoing evolution from his core jazz base to wider demos in the R&B and hip-hop communities.”
Houston native Glasper grew up listening to everything from gospel and rock to Motown and jazz before moving to New York to attend the New School. Earning his chops playing with Christian McBride, Roy Hargrove and others, he released his 2003 debut album, “Mood on Fresh Sound.” After signing with Blue Note, Glasper and his acoustic Trio released jazz albums Canvas (2005) and In My Element (2007) before revealing his dual Trio and Experiment personalities on 2009’s Grammy-nominated “Double-Booked.”
“I could have released ‘Black Radio’ in 2005,” he says. “But I wanted to put out jazz albums so I could be respected as a musician first who’s honed his craft.”
Having recorded songs for Maxwell’s new album and making plans to continue work on Chaka Khan’s next project, Glasper says a gospel Black Radio could be next, and then another jazz album at some point. “It’s just like Herbie [Hancock],” he says. “You can’t deny him. He’s already proven he’s an amazing musician and can concentrate on just making good music. That’s where I want to be.”