Song
Butterfly by the Robert Glasper Experiment
Back story
Robert Glasper is a Texas-born pianist currently residing in New York City. He grew up musically in the church, where he mixed gospel and jazz harmonies. He is equally comfortable in a traditional jazz setting (playing with folks such as Christian McBride and Terence Blanchard) as well as a hip-hop setting (playing with folks such as Jay-Z, Bilal, Kanye West, Q-Tip, Mos Def, and Maxwell).
Why this song
Who says the vocoder is dead? This is a great cover of the ‘70s Herbie Hancock tune off Robert’s 2009 release, Double Booked, whose 1st half is acoustic jazz and 2nd half incorporates electronic and funk elements. While no one can touch Herbie’s electric piano playing, Robert’s version has more energy, a modern groove, and none of the now-cheesy synthesizer strings. Adding a twist, Casey Benjamin is featured on vocoder, which complements the retro sound and yet takes it in a new direction. Also worth noting is that all the songs on this album were recorded live in the studio, most on the 1st take, including this track.
More info
All Music
Jazz.com interview
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