IN MY ELEMENT - ROBERT GLASPER
On pianist Robert Glasper’s second Blue Note outing, he sounds more relaxed and free-spirited than on his 2005 debut, “Canvas.” His voice already rings singularly true with expansive keyboard excursions, a willingness to pause midstream in a song and his penchant for overtly alluding to his gospel upbringing and hip-hop roots, best evidenced on the scurrying “Silly Rabbit.” With his trio (bassist Vicente Archer, drummer Damion Reid), Glasper opens the proceedings with velocity as he unleashes staccato crescendos on “G & B” then soon after impresses with the lyrical gem “F. T. B.” While largely originals, the CD includes imaginative covers, including a sail through Herbie Hancock’s “Maiden Voyage” that morphs into Radiohead’s “Everything in Its Right Place.” Billboard
