Robert Glasper x Amber Navran (of Moonchild)

Robert Glasper​ is the leader of a new sonic paradigm with a career that bridges musical and artistic genres. To date, he boasts 3 Grammy wins and 8 nominations across 6 categories, and an Emmy Award for his song for Ava Duvernay’s critically hailed documentary “13th” with Common and Karriem Riggins. 

Evolution is his hallmark. Glasper’s breakout crossover album ​Black Radio​ changed the face of the genre and set a new expectation for what popular music could be. The album won him the Grammy for best R&B album and established him as the musician of choice for some of the world’s most iconic artists; notably playing keys throughout Kendrick Lamar's ​To Pimp A Butterfly, ​ winning another Grammy for the elastic track “These Walls”. The ongoing Black Radio series has since become Glasper’s calling card, upholding a place at the heart of a trailblazing community: from long-time sonic brothers Mos Def and Bilal, to legends including Ledisi, Lupe Fiasco, Kanye West, Jill Scott, and Erykah Badu.  

Glasper’s eternal pursuit to further his sound has been consistent in challenging and transforming his creative horizons across the board. Whether producing a remix album with Kaytranda or as a bandleader, Robert consistently defies the limits of the genre. This is evident in a portfolio that ranges from his acoustic jazz trio; which simultaneously defies and elevates the traditional idiom by uniting it effortlessly with electronics from visionary DJ Jahi Sundance, to August Greene; a collaboration with Common + Karriem Riggins, to R+R=Now; a supergroup at the crossroads of hip-hop and Jazz. 
In the last year alone Glasper has seen a staggering diversity of success. He dropped ​Fuck Yo Feelings​ ; a star-studded mixtape; his first on Loma Vista Records; with features ranging from YBN Cordae to Herbie Hancock to Yebba. He created an original score for the Emmy Nominated doc​ The Apollo ​ and the feature film ​The Photograph​ starring Issa Rae. He led a legendary residency at the Blue Note NYC with 56 sold-out shows in 27 days which saw everyone from Dave Chappelle to Tiffany Haddish, Chadwick Boseman, Q-Tip, Anderson.Paak and Angela Davis join him on and off stage. And, alongside long-time collaborator, co-producer, and creative partner Terrace Martin, he formed another dream team supergroup featuring Kamasi Washington and 9th Wonder called Dinner Party, who together wrote and recorded a debut self titled album that was released to rave reviews.  

With boundless innovation and elite technique as his signature it’s no surprise that Glasper has an avalanche of accolades, awards, and achievements to his name - most recently being asked to play at the 2020 March On Washington with Derrick Hodge and funk legend, Sir George Clinton. In August of 2020, Robert released ‘Better Than Imagined’; the first taste of his hotly anticipated forthcoming ​Black Radio 3 ​ album​. ​ Featuring H.E.R and Meshell Ndegeocello, the song advocates for Black love and the power, and responsibility, we have to improve our world; again demonstrating that, above all, Glasper is an artist at the heart of a moment - and a movement - to champion Black music, Black people, and the possibility of a better future. The hip-hop-head-nod ballad is a dedication to just that: the beauty and brilliance of a heritage that is as much Kendrick as it is Coltrane, and which seeks to empower and uplift with every offering.   Both ​Fuck Yo Feelings ​ And ‘Better Than Imagined”  have received Grammy Nominations for the upcoming 2021 Grammy Awards.  

In his own words: 
"Black lives matter and so does black love; no one wants a life without love, but we have generations of people in our community who haven't had the tools to actually be in healthy relationships. It seems like people are finally ready to open their eyes to systemic racism in this country, and if we're going to talk about it, we have to also talk about how it affects our relationships, how we communicate, how we see ourselves, how we treat each other. It's not always good, even though maybe it could be." - Robert Glasper  

 

Amber Navran is an LA-based singer, producer, and woodwind player, and 1/3 of the renowned Neo-Soul trio Moonchild. As a member of Moonchild, Navran has released 5 albums and received a Grammy nomination for Best Progressive R&B Album in 2023. The group has performed at major festivals worldwide including Roots Picnic, Love Supreme, Cape Town Jazz Fest, Corona Sunsets Okinawa, Jakarta Jazz, and has sold out over 300 shows in 35 countries. Navran is recognized for her distinctive, multilayered voice and her production and performance acumen. She has collaborated, produced, and toured with esteemed artists such as Kamasi Washington, Stevie Wonder, The Internet, Jill Scott, Lalah Hathaway, and Robert Glasper, and built up a host of iconic supporters along the way.

As a solo artist and producer she has two projects out, and collaborates frequently with  Rapsody, 9th Wonder, R+R=NOW, Mumu Fresh, Knower, Louis Cole, Jacob Mann Big Band, Chris Dave, Daniel Crawford, Raquel Rodriguez, and more. You can also find her remixes for Sara Gazarek, Lawrence, Emmavie, and SAJE, wherever you listen to music.

The 6 foot, Texas raised musician didn’t actually begin his career with the bass, he started as a violinist at Elementary Culture School. Only after his teacher picked him to play the large upright bass, because he was the tallest guy in the class, did he finally find his true calling. Travis was simultaneously a self-proclaimed hip-hop head who was a huge fan of acts like A Tribe Called Quest and loved the local Houston Chopped & Screwed scene birthed by DJ Screw, and didn’t feel confident about pursuing a career as a bassist. It would take a couple of encounters with vibraphonist Stefon Harris throughout his journey before he considered playing on a professional level. He developed his skills for a bit playing with a local orchestra before entering into the Houston jazz scene, and his career quickly took off from there.
Now based in Brooklyn, New York, the 23-year-old Travis is back on the live music scene after a year-long hiatus, and is ready to explore a new musical territory. Certainly not one of the gabbiest, and unsure at first exactly what he could offer our session together, it turned out that he actually was flooded with ideas once we got started, as is true with most musicians when given a chance to talk about the thing that they love most. 

What happens when “love isn’t enough?” With his EP, multi-instrumentalist, producer, and DJ Jahi Sundance responds with a collection of break-up anthems that fuse funk and soul with heartbreak and longing, dichotomizing emotional fallout with uncompromising beats, depression with disco. Love is, after all, a paradox. And in these six songs, Sundance gifts us with an up-tempo exploration of the stages of relationship grief, acknowledging what breakthroughs may or may not come from breaking up.

With over 25 years in the music game, Sundance has created some of the most inventive DJ sets & sounds scapes in the scene today. He has toured with Robert Glasper, Me’shell N’degeocello, Christian McBride, and graced the stage of Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center. Recent producer/writer credits include Chris Brown, Danity Kane, Miguel, Common, and The World Cup.

Jahi lives in LA where he manages his record label More Than Enough and continues work on multiple projects.

Independent gospel drummer Justin Tyson is son of the late organist Craig Tyson and Shawn Tyson's nephew.

Justin Tyson is a talented and respected up-and-coming musician living in New York City. Born in Grand Rapids, Michigan but raised in Indianapolis, Indiana, he started playing the drums at the age of three and from that day on continued to perfect his craft.

Tyson is a Berklee College of Music alumnus; there his love for the drums and music in general expanded. Justin has played for Jessie J, Estelle, Mos Def, Tyrese, Cubic Zirconia, Sirah, Ryan Leslie and is currently the drummer for Esperanza Spalding and Now vs Now.