Robert Glasper

Robert Glasper's 2005 Blue Note debut was so fresh and compelling that the young jazz pianist shot to the top of Rhapsody's Ones To Watch list. On this 2007 follow-up, Glasper continues exploring the boundaries of hip-hop etched lyrical post bop, which is a fancy way of saying that he can experiment and play pretty at the same time. Glasper wrote most of the instrumentals (the last one, "Tribute," contains a wonderful audio sample of a reverend's sermon) but he also has the moxie to weave a sublime medley out of Herbie Hancock's "Maiden Voyage" and Radiohead's "Everything In Its Right Place."