The Evolution of Jazz: A Study on Robert Glasper's Musical Innovations

This essay delves into the evolution and future of jazz music, exploring its roots in blues and ragtime and its transformation through the ages. It examines the influence of Robert Glasper, a contemporary jazz musician, pianist, and music producer, and his innovative approach to music fusion. Glasper's incorporation of various genres like R&B, hip-hop, electronic music, and rock into jazz is highlighted, showcasing his unique contributions to the genre. The essay analyzes Glasper's 'Black Radio' project, which brings together diverse musicians, and his exploration of Irish folk music, demonstrating his commitment to musical experimentation and expression. Through a personal reflection, the essay underscores the impact of Glasper's music, emphasizing its contemporary relevance and the transcending ambience it creates for the listener.

Running head: THE FUTURE OF JAZZ
THE FUTURE OF JAZZ
Name of the Student:
Name of the University:
Author Note:

1THE FUTURE OF JAZZ
Introduction:
Music has a different position in my life. I have found myself to rely upon the music to
mobilize and motivate me from time to time. I prefer listening to music even in the midst of my
days and my works. I listen while I am alone and even when I am accompanied by people. It
energizes me and provides me with perspectives, especially when I find myself to be confused
and disturbed, I have always found a beautiful peace and energy in the music (Cataldo, 2018).
However, there are different genres of music, for example, Musical Theatre, Jazz, Classical
Music, Rock, Classic Rock, Metal, Death Metal, Singing, Country, and Popular Music, Folk
Songs, Rhythm and Blues and the like. I listen to all genres of music, though I have certain
preferences, depending on my mood. However, I prefer Jazz for all of my moods.
Background of the Music:
Jazz is a music genre which had been develop by the African American of New Orleans.
A lot of people consider Jazz to be the classical music of America, while this being a
controversial topic. It originated in the early 19th century and it has its roots into the blues and
ragtime, while the blues is an African- American origination, the Ragtime is a music form of
Africa, rather it is a folk genre of music. Both the forms of music are especially used to portray
the expressions and the adulation of men. Both of these genres of music focused on
instrumentation and music, and therefore, Jazz, which has originated from these two genres of
music is also focused on the instruments and the organization of music (Finkelstein, 2018).
While the Blues represented sadness, the Ragtime, represented the happiness and the feelings of
excitement, and both of these can be found in the musical expression of Jazz.

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As I have already mentioned, jazz evolved in the earliest of 19th century and is considered
to be the classical form of music of the country, however, in the contemporary times, Jazz has
evolved and with the age of fusion coming along many experiments have been done with the
forms of Jazz as well. Along with this, musicians have included their own perspectives and their
own expressions into the music. Thus an age of fusion started where the musical forms of Jazz
has an influence of other forms of music as well, for example, an influence of the Rhythm and
Blues, Pop, Hip hop, and the like. One of the biggest example is the third album of Kendrick
Lamar, where there is an influence of Pop music and Rapping, with the musical expression of
jazz, and the person who had helped in the making of this album is, Robert Glasper. Therefore,
this research is based on the experiments that he had included in his works.
Body:
Robert Glasper:
Robert Glasper is an African American Musician and Pianist and Music producer and the
owner of the Emmy, once, and the winner of Grammy, for three times. Though he is a Jazz
musician by nature, however, in the year 2014, he had won the Grammy for the best R&B album
of the year, and the song ‘Three Walls’ of the album had won the best Rapp song of the year.
Such an endeavor was unexpected from a Jazz musician, and the age of fusion that he has
brought in, is not only the most experimented but also most beautifully and successfully
experimented (Glasper & Glasper, 2018). There are other genres of music which has been
integrated with the forms of Jazz by other musicians, for example, the integration of the classical
music or the integration of country music with Jazz. But Glasper had brought in the new age of
Jazz, by incorporating not only R&B, but also at the same time, he has experimented electronic
music and rock songs in the forms of Jazz, and has provided his own interpretation of the songs.

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The Experiment:
Glasper had started the age of fusion only with R&B and hip hop, but gradually he has
moved towards soul, rap, rock and the like, and according to hi, music is a form of expression,
and Jazz, according to him tis the best way to express. Therefore, he believes that an integration
of the other of musical genres is rather normal, in order to help him express his feelings, and thus
he has formed his own band Black Radio. While being asked about the choice of the name he
stated that the black box is the only thing that survives a plane crash, and therefore, he stated that
when the quality and the significance is crashing and when there is a lack of good music in the
society, these five songs, which has been developed by the Black Box, will always help one to
get back to great music, and he believes that great music always lives on (Glasper et al., 2013).
Black Radio has also brought together three other great musicians of the time, Erykah Badu,
Ledisi and Lupe Fiasco, and together they have created an infused age of Jazz music. More
importantly, he has not only put together the modern music and Jazz together, but he has
explored the Irish Folk music as well. In his Eagle Rock Entertainment, he was seen to have
coordinated with the Irish Folk Band, Solas, and in one of the live performance shows, he had
been seen to have collaborated with the founder, Seamus Egan. Apart from this, the musician had
been seen to have got inspired by the traditional folk songs of the places he is visiting. For
example on his visit and performance at the Shanghai Music Festival, the musician had been
seen to have got inspired by the traditional folk songs of the country, and therefore had
potentially used them in his songs (Smith, 2015). In an interview he had mentioned that he wants
to explore all the forms of music and he wants to learn and work upon them.

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Impact of the Music on Me:
Robert Glasper is one of the favorite names of my playlist, and the kind of music that he
makes is not only contemporary, but at the same time, he plays and experiments with music. He
investigates the music and creates a transcending ambience through his work, which is not only a
treat and but also peace to the ears. I loved his Art Science, which is an experimental music
work, and which has maintained the authenticity of the music while presenting an infusion.
Conclusion:
Robert Glasper is much influenced by Miles Davis and the age of music that he has
brought has influenced a number of new age musicians. He has changed the meaning of jazz
music and his claim to provide the listeners with the music that they can relate to, has been
rightly maintained by him.
Discography:
Release Year Title of the Album
2004 Mood
2005 Canvas
2007 In My Element
2009 Double- Booked
2012 Black Radio
2013 Black Radio
2015 Covered

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2016 Everything’s Beautiful; ArtScience
2019 Fuck Yo Feelings
(Gridley, 2016)
References:
Cataldo, C. (2018). Towards a music algebra: Fundamental harmonic substitutions in
jazz. International Journal of Advanced Engineering Research and Science, 5(1).
Finkelstein, S. W. (2018). Jazz: A People’s Music. Pickle Partners Publishing.
Glasper, R., & Glasper, R. (2015). Covered (CD). Blue Note.
Glasper, R., Ambrosius, M., Benjamin, C., Brandy, Colenburg, M., Common, ... & Hathaway, L.
(2013). Black radio 2. Blue Note Records.
Gridley, M. (2016). Jazz in The New Millennium: Live & Well by Rick Mitchell: (2014).
Houston, TX: Dharma Moon Press. 143 pp., 24.95.ISBN978-0-9905148-0-0(paper); 9.99
ISBN 978-0-9905148-1-7 (eBook-Kindle).

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Smith, G. (2015). Seeking “success” in popular music. Music Education, 183.