IJF 2022 | Day 7: Robert Glasper – The Auditory Canal

We will remember the passage of Robert Glasper in a crowded Maisonneuve Theater for this 7th evening of the 42nd edition of the Festival international de Jazz de Montréal.

Photos by Coline Beulin

The American virtuoso and composer, who was awarded the Miles Davis Prize (the latter succeeds Joshua Redman) awarded since 1994 and intended to highlight the undeniable contribution of a jazz artist to the advancement of music , offered a performance worthy of the name it bears. Before flying to Europe, Glasper and his acolytes gave us 2 hours of meditation and a heterogeneous musical continuum to make you dream.

Following the award ceremony, Robert Glasper exited the stage, making way for his DJ, Jahi Sundance. The artist has set the table for the sequel, an introduction of about twenty minutes where he had fun linking a happy mix of compositions among which we were able to recognize Baby I Love You by Aretha Franklin Around the Way Girl by LL Cool J, Who is He? by Bill Withers as well as People Everyday of Arrested Development. At the end of the evening, we understood that this mixing was an excellent introduction to quietly interfere in the recipe Glasper.

Sundance was always there, present from beginning to end, adding its touch. Robert Glasper arrived on stage to the applause of the crowd who almost chanted his name. On bass, we find his collaborator Burniss Earl Travis. Then, on the drums, there is a musician of great talent: Chris Dave. This name meant something to me: Chris Dave and The Drumhedz. their album namesake published in 2018 is a delight. The latter was, throughout, an unstoppable metronome. It’s as if he and Glasper constantly sent the note back to each other, always pushing it a little higher, until they reached a paroxysm, a bifurcation, a transition towards a new musical ascent.

Glasper didn’t talk much, but when he did, he always managed to make a good handful of spectators laugh. What better way to relax the atmosphere even more and create a warm connection with your audience? The one who navigates on several musical shores, namely Hip-Hop, Soul, Jazz, R&B, Funk and more, flirted with all these genres for 90 minutes. In this show where everything seemed to repeat itself and become more accentuated, like the concentric circles, we could hear multiple decompositions, juxtapositions and recompositions of frames appearing on the trilogy Black Radiobut also gems from albums like ArtScience (2016) and Everything’s Beautiful (2016). It was not always easy to perfectly detect a precise melody in a song, but this effect was welcomed by the public since it gave the impression that no matter the note, everyone could find something for them in the environment. ingeniously deployed sound. Improvisation also interfered well in this pivotal moment of the festival. And what about the superb voice of Robert Glasper, sweet, charming? She reminded me of Myron’s.

Among a few notable elements, we note the challenge launched to Chris Dave who had to reproduce cuts of R&B and Hip-Hop, the moment when the crowd turned into a bird when they could not stop whistling, the solo of bass by Burniss Earl Travis as well as the tribute to J Dilla. What moment! My ears were also satisfied with the notes of the song Perseverewhich appears on Black Radio II (2013).

This festival never ceases to strengthen my love for artists that I never thought I would see in person. Thanks!