Documentary Robert Glasper Talks Luther Vandross, Upcoming Napa Valley Festival & All That Jazz

Robert Glasper stays busy. when Advertising sign He recently caught up with the five-time Grammy winner on the eve of his appearance — with his band and special guest Yebba — at the annual Hollywood Bowl Jazz festival on June 16. And in between rehearsals for that show, he was in the middle of recording his next album.

And this after announcing the arrival of his latest album, Let fall, a few days ago. The release of the meditative instrumental album, one of several planned works through an exclusive partnership with Apple Music, also coincided with the music platform's celebration of jazz during Black Music Month.

Thanks to critically acclaimed, up-and-coming jazz artists such as Grammy-winner Samara Joy, fellow Grammy-winner Laufey and 2023 Mercury Music Prize winner Ezra Collective, jazz has been making headlines in recent years. And as a well-known jazz artist, Glasper is here for this new wave.

“I think people are okay with jazz moving into the modern age,” he says. “People kind of let it go and let it do what it needs to do. We already have jazz history. But new things [in jazz] it must also be done so that new things can in turn make history. People like Samara Joy… are a breath of fresh air. He's obviously studied the history of music, but you can hear it through it too. And he's not afraid of genre-hopping either. I love the fact that she is so deeply steeped in gospel music and R&B. People see others like Esperanza [Spalding] and Gregory Porter, bringing jazz into a new day.

“They say it's okay to learn history,” Glasper continues, “but don't hold it back. This lesson is taught. And a lot of people are embracing this new wave of artists who tell their stories and aren't afraid to do so.”

Now back in the studio recording his next album for Apple Music, Glasper describes the upcoming project as half jazz and half hip-hop. With his colleagues Walter Smith on tenor sax, Keyon Harrold on trumpet, Vicente Archer on bass, Kendrick Scott on drums and Mike Moreno on guitar, Glasper is currently recording the jazz half of the album.

“We're recording some jazz tunes in a very acoustic, sextet style,” Glasper explains. The other half of the album will be hip-hop versions of these jazz songs. I'm going to have different hip-hop producers try each of these songs and make a hip-hop beat out of it.”

Meanwhile, Glasper is busy with Blue Note Jazz festival Presents: The Black Radio Experience. As previously announced, John Legend, Jill Scott and André 3000 headline the Napa Valley, California event over Labor Day weekend (August 30-September 1). The festival, a collaboration between Blue Note Entertainment Group and Black Radio Productions, will be hosted by Sway Calloway.

Opting for a lineup that also includes Andra Day, Common with Pete Rock, Musiq Soulchild, Nile Rodgers and Christian McBride (more info here), Glasper — who also doubles as an artist — says the festival “will be a little more intimate than last year. We look forward to a great weekend.”

Offstage, Glasper has been busy with various television projects since scoring the music for Peacock's The Prince of Bel-Air restart Bel Air in 2022 with fellow artist/musician Terrace Martin. These projects include creating the original score for the current Apple TV+ limited series The Big Cigar. With a cast that includes André Holland and Glynn Turman, the six-part drama chronicles Black Panther founder Huey P. Newton's escape from the FBI in Cuba.

Glasper, which also counts The photograph and HBO's second season Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty Among his film and television credits, he most recently scored the upcoming documentary about legendary R&B/pop singer/songwriter Luther Vandross. Luther: Never too muchdirected by Dawn Porter, is set to premiere next year on CNN, OWN and Max.

“Luther was the soundtrack to my childhood,” says Glasper Advertising sign for the opportunity to work on the documentary. “We didn't have a family gathering without Luther's music playing. Making the music for this doc was close to my heart. It felt like him.”