The Robert Glasper Experiment plays Holland on Saturday. Photo by Mike Schreiber
The decision is all yours: cutting-edge jazz or over-the-edge, psychedelic prog-rock jamming.
The New York-based Robert Glasper Experiment takes the idea of rhythm and space, mixes it with hip-hop, and turns jazz into something quite unlikely and decidedly fresh.
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Glasper, a native of Texas whose piano stylings have stirred the pot and created a real buzz nationally, is about to release a new album, “Black Radio,” that’s billed as drawing “from jazz, hip-hop, R&B and rock, but refuses to be pinned down by any one tag.”
That’s not surprising, considering Glasper pays tribute to jazz masters but has also worked with the likes of Q-Tip, and has had everyone from Lupe Fiasco to Kanye West jump on stChange Permalinksage with him.
What may be more surprising is that Glasper and his bandmates are making a West Michigan tour stop, playing the Hope College Concert Series at the Knickerbocker Theatre in Holland on Saturday. Considering this highly acclaimed outfit is also playing Philadelphia, Chicago, San Francisco, San Diego, Los Angeles, Seattle, and Washington D.C., this one-and-only Michigan tour stop could be a special one.
Oregon-based American Hybrid, with 2011 Hope grad Nate Roberts on guitar, will open the 8 p.m. show in the theater at 86 E. Eighth St. in Holland.
Tickets are $12 ($5 for Hope students). Details here.
Learn more about Glasper and his new recording project in a video here.
My second under-the-radar pick represents a big show for an up-and-coming Grand Rapids band.
UV Hippo
After its latest “Square Pegs Round Holes” album was named Homegrown Music Network’s album of the year, Ultraviolet Hippopotamus is ready to take another step forward with its jammy, proggy, ultra-cool music.
The group will kick off its national, 32-date Telektonon Tour with a special show Saturday at The Pyramid Scheme, 68 Commerce Ave. SW, in Grand Rapids. Former band guitarist Sam Guidry will join the group on stage and the show will open with a set by another emerging West Michigan talent, Muskegon’s Four Finger Five.
Tickets to the 9 p.m. show are $10 in advance, $12 day of show.
Email: jsinkevics@gmail.com
