Cherishing The Day: The Robert Glasper Experiment, Live in London

14 July 2017, 12:47 | Written by John Bell

(Live)

(Robert Glasper)

Now, it’s rarely remarkable to mention the weather when reviewing a show, but the rain that fell on The Robert Glasper Experiment’s evening at Somerset House’s Summer Series was a blinding and shivering tempest, and set outside in the courtyard, made for a dramatic performance at odds to the indoor quiet of your normal jazz concert.

That considered, it was still a reasonable turnout for support and Stones Throw signee Gabriel Garzón-Montano, who ploughed through the likes of “Fruitflies” and “The Game”, professionally unfazed by the conditions at odds to his cool, summery groove. The Experiment kicks things off sharpish with a fifteen minute rendition of “No One Like You” from last year’s ArtScience. Casey Benjamin’s sax solo is mind boggling, and like his vocals, is touched with a vocoder to give a hint of futurism. Drummer Justin Tyson feeds rhythms in and out of the overall timbre throughout with a subtle modesty that belies his evident musicality.

A great touch throughout the evening is the array of British acts Glasper invites on to stage to join him, from the soulful harmonies of LaSharVu for “Cherish The Day” to Laura Mvula gracefully taking on the role of Jill Scott in “Calls”. The standout is, however, a surprise visit from Corinne Bailey Rae, who joins Glasper for a somewhat ironic cover of Bill Withers’ “Lovely Day” with a beaming smile.

The only thing that stays dry throughout the evening is Glasper’s humour. He teases the crowd when his mention of latest release ArtScience is met with less rapturous cheers than equivalent remarks about the Black Radio records, and pretends to forget the name of rapper Common, who runs onstage at the end of the set to massive cheers for a freestyle-flourished version of the J Dilla cut “Theolonius”.