Robert Glasper Releases Holiday EP ‘In December’
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ROBERT GLASPER RELEASES NEW HOLIDAY EP IN DECEMBER
FEATURING ANDRA DAY, PJ MORTON, SEVYN STREETER, CYNTHIA ERVO, TARRIONA TANK BALL, ALEX ISLEY, AND THE BAYLOR PROJECT
WORLD RENOWNED ROBTOBER RESIDENCY CELEBRATES 5th ANNIVERSARY AT BLUE NOTE NEW YORK THROUGH NOVEMBER 5th
GUEST BAND LEADER FOR THE ROOTS ON THE TONIGHT SHOW STARRING JIMMY FALLON NOVEMBER 7th AND 8th
LISTEN TO IN DECEMBER EXCLUSIVELY ON APPLE; OUT NOW VIA LOMA VISTA RECORDINGS |
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In December cover art
PRESS PRAISE FOR ROBERT GLASPER
“Over the previous 10 years, Glasper had been methodically chipping away at the boundaries between jazz — the music for which he originally became known — hip-hop and R&B.” – THE NEW YORK TIMES
“If an artist’s music is a reflection of their life, then Glasper’s hyper- collaborative approach to music and performance is no different than his hyper- gregarious life which continuously builds upon itself taking his career to extraordinary heights.” – POLLSTAR
“The modern jazz icon.” – ESSENCE
Today, multi-Grammy and Emmy-winning artist and producer Robert Glasper releases a new holiday EP, In December. Featuring an esteemed roster of frequent collaborators—PJ Morton, Sevyn Streeter, Cynthia Ervo, Tarriona Tank Ball, Alex Isley, Andra Day, and The Baylor Project—the seven track Apple Music exclusive project is an evocative and moving addition to Glasper’s critically lauded catalog. In December sees Glasper’s unique approach to contemporary R&B and jazz, encapsulated in his famed Black Radio series, applied to what is a sonically unique take on holiday music. This non-traditional holiday release brings a weight and musical funkiness to a genre and time of year that is often seeped in campy or classic holiday motifs. Speaking on In December, Robert Glasper says, “I’m excited to drop my first holiday record. I hope it brings as much joy as I had making it. Sip some eggnog and enjoy.”
Arriving as a bookend to a massive year for Glasper, In December precedes the November 5th closing of the 5th year of the exceptional artist’s world renowned Robtober residency at Blue Note in NYC, featuring special guest performances by Norah Jones, Dinner Party, Yebba, Lupe Fiasco, Black Thought, Kamasi Washington, D Smoke and more. Glasper has also been invited to return to The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon next week as the Guest Band Leader for house band The Roots, alongside fellow collaborators and special guests Chris Dave and Derrick Hodge, on November 7th and 8th.
2023 marked another landmark year for Robert Glasper, who earned the Best R&B Album at the 65th Annual GRAMMY Awards for his 2022 album Black Radio III. Black Radio III features both new and old Black Radio family such as H.E.R, Ty Dolla $ign, Common, Yebba, Meshell Ndgeocello, Killer Mike, BJ The Chicago Kid, Big K.R.I.T., and more. The album was followed up by an expanded version entitled Black Radio III: The Supreme Edition, with nine additional tracks including a posthumous feature from Mac Miller on “Therapy pt.2” as well as contributions from Estelle, PJ Morton, BJ The Chicago Kid, India Arie, Bilal and more.
Glasper’s body of work is a masterclass in hip-hop, R&B and jazz fusion that sonically has influenced the next decade to come. One of the most respected collaborators of his generation, now with 12 GRAMMY nominations in total and 5 wins, Glasper set sail as the host of 2023’s Blue Note at Sea cruise before selling out New York City’s Terminal 5 with his critically lauded supergroup with Terrace Martin and Kamasi Washington, Dinner Party. In April, ahead of performances at Coachella, Dinner Party unveiled a new album Enigmatic Society to widespread acclaim. The record spawned an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, where Dinner Party performed the single “Insane” alongside guest vocalist Ant Clemons. This year, Robert Glasper, who was tapped by Don Cheadle to score 2015’s Miles Ahead documentary on Miles Davis, is working on two more film scores for documentaries on Luther Vandross and Billy Preston. Over the summer, he returned to Napa Valley as the 2023 Artist in Residence at the second annual Blue Note Jazz Festival featuring a lineup of talented friends and collaborators such as Mary J. Blige, Nas, Chance The Rapper, Ari Lennox, Madlib, Smino and more. In 2022, he curated and performed at the inaugural weekend as a collaboration inspired by his annual residency at the legendary New York jazz club.
As a producer, Robert Glasper has contributed to landmark records throughout his storied career, like Kendrick Lamar’s To Pimp a Butterfly and Flying Lotus’s Flamagra, while continuing to be an enduring influence within the legendary Blue Note Records. The Houston native’s earlier projects, the Grammy Award-winning Black Radio (2011), Black Radio 2 (2013), and ArtScience (2016) topped Billboard’s Jazz Album Charts, while recent records like Grammy-nominated Fuck Yo Feelings (2019), with features ranging from YBN Cordae to Herbie Hancock, and Black Radio III, featuring Grammy-winning single “Better Than I Imagined”, contribute to Glasper’s staggering honorary success. With long-time collaborator, co-producer, and creative partner Terrace Martin, he formed Dinner Party (2020) featuring Kamasi Washington and 9th Wonder. The record was nominated for Best Progressive R&B Album at last year’s 64th Annual Grammy Awards.
Robert Glasper’s accolades are a testament to his career which spans over two decades and several genres. He boasts 5 Grammys, an Emmy, a Peabody, and made history with Black Radio (2012), the first album to debut in the top 10 of 4 different genre charts simultaneously: Hip Hop, R&B, Urban Contemporary, Jazz and Contemporary Jazz— and his follow-up Black Radio 2. In addition to his musical releases, Glasper has composed scores for films and series like Peabody-winning Mr. SOUL! (2018), 2020’s The Photograph starring Issa Rae, Emmy-nominated documentary The Apollo, both seasons of HBO’s series Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty, both seasons Starz’s Run The World, and Peacock’s Fresh Prince reboot, Bel-Air and The Best Man: The Final Chapters.
LISTEN TO IN DECEMBER
IN DECEMBER TRACKLIST 1. Fireside Intro 2. God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen [Carol of Bells] ft. Cynthia Ervo 3. Make It Home ft. PJ Morton & Sevyn Streeter 4. Memories with Mama ft. Tarriona Tank Ball 5. Joy to the World ft. Alex Isley 6. December ft. Andra Day 7. Little Drummer Boy ft. The Baylor Project |
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Photo by Jesse Lirola
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