Robert Glasper
This past Labor Day Weekend, the rolling hills of Napa, Calif. were filled with fans in town to attend the Blue Note Jazz Festival’s Black Radio Experience festival, curated by Robert Glasper. The iOne Digital team was on the grounds to take in the Black Radio Experience, and we were moved by the display of music, art, wine, and culture.
The Blue Note Jazz Festival’s Black Radio Experience kicked off on the first day of Labor Day Weekend and was held at the Meritage Resort and Spa. The BRE team did an excellent job of transforming the sprawling resort into a welcoming performance space, complete with brand installations, a wine garden, food trucks, VIP experiences, and plenty of seating for fans to take in the performances.
On the first day (August 30), vibraphonist Joel Rosshas’ Joel Ross’ Good Vibes got the festival going at the Blue Note Stage, with producer Madlib and drummer Daru Jones taking to the Black Radio Stage. Madlib also brought out guests on his set such as his Loot Pack band member Wildchild, who some might know as the father of actor Miles Brown, vocalist Stacy Epps, and rapper Your Old Droog.
Source: Black Radio Experience / BRE
Source: Black Radio Experience Content Team
Terrace Martin rocked the Blue Note Stage, taking listeners through his wide musical journey while picking up a variety of instruments and also sharing humorous bits about himself throughout his performance. Common and Pete Rock, who are currently on tour in support of their new album, The Auditorium Vol. 1, put on a spirited performance of their classics along with tracks from the new project.
Source: Marc Fong / Still Harper
Source: @sandrajamphoto
At the resort’s Estate Cave, André 3000 held three separate performances titled “New Blue Sun Live” which featured him performing with a backing band and using several wind instruments much like he did on his latest album of the same name. Three Stacks’ held three shows daily across the span of the festival at the Estate Cave. Golden Globes winner and singer Andra Day was another early highlight with a passionate performance that had attendees on their feet.
Source: Todd Cooper
The first night concluded with the legendary Jill Scott and she proved once more why she is in demand as a performer, running through just about every song you’d want to hear, including the sultry “Crown Royal,” and the Go-Go-tinged “It’s Love” among other hits.
Source: Marc Fong / Still Harper
On the second day (8/31), drummer Kendrick Scott set things off on the Blue Note Stage with an energetic set that displayed his mastery of the sticks. DJ Jazzy Jeff was slated to perform on the Black Radio Stage but DJ Premier of Gang Starr fame gamely filled the slot with a crowd-pleasing set full of grooving soul tracks and R&B from the 1970s and beyond.
Source: Marc Fong / Still Harper
Source: Marc Fong / Still Harper
Bassist Derrick Hodge rocked Blue Note Stage shortly after and pulled double duty on Saturday with a following set with the Color of Noize Orchestra. Around the same time, Tank and The Bangas were torching the Black Radio Stage and as we’ve seen before, Tarriona “Tank” Ball gave it her all on the stage with a mixture of poetry, rapping, and singing.
Source: Marc Fong / Still Harper
As this festival was created from the mind of Robert Glasper, the talented musician made his rounds during several sets throughout the weekend and hosted his first full set with special guest, Marsha Ambrosius.
Source: Marc Fong / Still Harper
Source: Marc Fong / Still Harper
John Legend closed things out on Saturday with all the style and professionalism one can imagine. At one point during his set, Legend explained to the crowd how he came to work with Kanye West, now known as Ye, and the origin of his stage name among other anecdotes. Based on our observation of the crowd, this was another standout moment of the festival.
Source: Marc Fong / Still Harper
On the final day, we spent much of our day in interview mode so we regretfully missed several sets such as RC & The Gritz, Christian McBride, Cimafunk, and Eric Roberson. However, we did get to sit down with Erro and we’ll be sharing more from our chat in later posts. In between the busy interview schedule, we did get to see some of Ledisi’s set from the Pattern Beauty suite — more on that later — and we also got to catch the “New Blue Sun Live” experience in person.
Source: Marc Fong / Still Harper
Source: Marc Fong / Still Harper
Source: BRE / Still Harper
The final sets of the night were Niles Rodgers and CHIC, and Glasper alongside Musiq Soulchild, capping a weekend full of music, wine, and several examples of Black elegance and excellence.
The iOne Digital team also attended some of the on-site experiences, such as the JAM Session with Robert Glasper & Chef Ken L. Polk from Chicago, with Glasper serving as his sous chef.
We also checked out the Ladies First Power Hour: Cocktails & Conversation with Kendra Anderson & Imane Hanine and had the pleasure of interviewing the pair after the experience. We also got to get some brunch in among the elevated vineyard grounds via the “For the Love of Jazz” Soul Brunch by Chef Jay Foster & DJ Mara Hruby, featuring John Legend’s LVE Wine.
Source: @sandrajamphoto
In the coming weeks, we’ll be sharing some of the content we captured from the grounds, including the aforementioned interviews. We interviewed Andra Day, Derrick Hodge, Frankie Zombie, and more so please stay tuned.
Once again, the iOne Digital team owes a great deal of gratitude to the Black Radio Experience team for the hospitality and assistance in allowing us to experience the festival as intended.
To learn more about the Blue Note Jazz, click here.
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Photo: iOne Digital/BRE
HipHopWired Featured Video
For all of his musical accomplishments, Robert Glasper stands as one of the most versatile yet accessible musicians of his generation. In a recent chat, the Grammy Award-winning pianist and composer shared with Hip-Hop Wired his vision of The Black Radio Experience and bringing the soulful vibes to Napa Valley for Labor Day Weekend.
Robert Glasper has over a dozen releases that span the audio expanses of Jazz, Soul, R&B, Funk, and Hip-Hop. By way of the world-famous Blue Note record label, Glasper released Black Radio in 2012 and it was true to his interpretation of what a Black radio station under his watchful direction. The initial concept led to a Black Radio trilogy that concluded in 2022, and he’s still reinventing himself as an artist by way of his latest project, Let Go.
Source: Marc Fong / Marc Fong
Anyone who has ever attended a Robert Glasper show learns swiftly that he is, without doubt, a masterful yet playful showman whose dexterity as a pianist allows him to open his musical sandbox to a wide tapestry of sounds. In our talk with Glasper, we asked him what The Black Radio Experience means to him and how he intends to bring those ideas to life in the Wine Country of Northern California.
“The Black Radio Experience, just like you hear on my albums, it’s just that vibe and you can see the festival will feature artists that have appeared on the Black Radio albums like Common, Jill Scott, Ledisi, Terrace Martin, Derrick Hodge,” Glasper explains.
“It’s not about having the hottest song out or anything but a collection of artists that make songs that bring those good feelings out. These are artists who promote real music, love, honesty, and all of that from a Black and soulful perspective. That’s what The Black Radio Experience is and always will be,” Glasper added.
Glasper shared that while the theme of the Blue Note Jazz Festival in Napa has maintained that creed for the past three years, this year’s festival widens the scope with a focus on Black wine brands, chefs bringing curated menu concepts to light, and making the festival a safe space for celebration of the wide scope of Black creativity that includes the arts and dance as well.
“The festival is just an extension of the love I have for the music and the people and what I set out to do on the first Black Radio album, which is to say this is what Black radio stations could be,” Glasper said.
“When I made that first album, I was already immersed in different styles of music and playing it but committing it to wax was the next step, and over the years with the festival, we’ve been able to bring my vision of Black Radio to the stages and show that there is so much to us as a creative people,” Glasper shared.
Source: Blue Note Jazz Festival / Blue Note Jazz Festival
Among the headliners for The Blue Note Jazz Festival Presents: The Black Radio Experience, which includes the aforementioned acts from the albums, is André 3000. Three Stacks has famously moved on from the rapping portion of his career and leaning into instrumental music by way of his latest album, New Blue Sun. Glasper says that he found the Atlanta artist’s choice to try something new inspirational and that was his thought in creating his latest body of work, Let Go.
“I had so many people tell me that they listened to New Blue Sun and mediated to it or cleaned their house to it, hell, even I did the same,” Glasper said. “I had people tell me that they would do the same to some of my music and that was the reason why I partnered with Apple Music to drop Let Go. I wanted to give listeners something to reset their day to and even to inspire myself to take it slow.”
Robert Glasper will be in Napa, Calif. this Labor Day Weekend for The Blue Note Jazz Festival Presents: The Black Radio Experience.
To learn more about the festival, click here.
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Photo: Marc Fong/Blue Note Jazz Festival
HipHopWired Featured Video
Next month, Napa Valley, Calif. will play host to the Blue Note Jazz Festival’s Black Radio Experience helmed by artist in residence, famed pianist Robert Glasper. The festival recently unveiled its official sponsors list, featuring Tracee Ellis Ross’ PATTERN Beauty, Black Vines, and other notable brands.
The Blue Note Jazz Festival’s Black Radio Experience will feature the aforementioned Glasper along with his fellow headliners John Legend, Jill Scott, and André 3000. Longtime music journalist Sway Calloway will be the MC of the festivities. The event will be held at the Meritage Resort & Spa in Napa Valley, with plenty of activations on-site for fans to engage with beyond the entertainers in tow.
The Blue Note Jazz Festival’s Black Radio Experience proudly announced PATTERN Beauty, Volcan de mi Tierra Tequila,
Tito’s Handmade Vodka, Monster Energy, Lexus, and Black Vines® as this year’s sponsors.
As Napa Valley is a premier travel destination for wine lovers, the inclusion of the Black Vines® Wine Garden will showcase several Black-owned wineries, including LVE Wines by John Legend, Pur Noire Urban Wineries, Love Cork Screw, J Moss Winery, Mom Juice, and P. Harrell Wines.
PATTERN Beauty will also host a hairstyling and gifting suite, a must for the stylish and camera-ready attendees of the Black Radio Experience. Further, there will be specialty cocktails from Volcan de mi Tierra Tequila and Tito’s Handmade Vodka, a stop for folks to get their vibe elevated with Monster Energy drinks, and an up-close look at the Lexus GX, a luxury SUV from the fine automaker.
In a recent chat with Robert Glasper that we’ll share in full later this week, the award-winning talent expressed that the Black Radio Experience is more than music but instead is a convergence of Black culture that includes music, food, wine, and style.
Aiding that objective, Black Vines® is a burgeoning community of Black-owned wineries and vintners and hosts frequent events across the Bay Area, Napa Valley, and beyond. Learn more at the Black Vines® website here. The community is also hosting a points-based contest for a chance to win a backstage meet & greet with Robert Glasper for attendees and their friends.
The Blue Note Jazz Festival’s Black Radio Experience takes place from August 30 through September 1. Joining the headliners will be Musiq Soulchild and Marsha Ambrosius, who will both join Glasper for a special vocal performance. Andra Day, Ledisi, Common and Pete Rock, Madlib, DJ Jazzy Jeff, and more are also slated to perform.
The Aldea Mental Health Fund is a partner for the event and a portion of the ticket sales will go towards the Aldea Children and Family Services division.
Hotel and ticket packages are available now with three-day general admission passes beginning at $499 and single-day GA passes starting at $175.
Visit the website for more information, including ticket sales and hotel information.
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Photo: Mathieu Bitton / @candytman
HipHopWired Featured Video
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Source: Scott Dudelson / Getty / Chris Brown
The Grammys always will leave folks in their feelings. The BeyHive was tight after Beyoncé didn’t win Album of The Year, and R&B bad boy Chris Brown was BIG MAD after failing to secure a Grammy and played himself big time in the process.
Minus the bowtie this time around, Chris Brown had to say he was sorry after he hopped into his Instagram stories and took shots at highly beloved and decorated artist Robert Glasper after losing the Grammy for best R&B album to him.
For those who are like Breezy, stuck in a bubble, and have no idea who Robert Glasper is, he is a damn good pianist and producer, and his work transcends Jazz, R&B, and Hip-Hop.
In his “apology” to Glasper after the disrespect, Brown shared a screengrab of an apology he sent via direct message to Glasper.
“Congratulations my brother… I would like to apologize if you took offense to my reaction at the Grammys. You were not the intended target and I know I came off really rude and mean.”
He continued, “After doing my research I actually think you’re amazing… the organization isn’t doing us Blacks our due diligence. You and I should never be in the same category… two totally different vibes and genres. So from one Black man to another, congratulations. Hope you are able to feed your family for life. God bless my G.”
Here’s Where Chris Brown Played Himself
After Glasper secured his fifth Grammy, Brown pop and locked into his Instagram stories posting a story stating, “Y’all playing. Who da fuck is this?” He then wrote, “Ima keep kicking y’all ass! Respectfully.”
His next post was an image asking, “Who the f*ck is Robert Glasper.” Brown, who has been the recipient of 21 Grammy nominations, winning one, posted a photo of himself with a harmonica, writing, “I gotta get my skills up… ima start playing the harmonica.”
Brown ended his now-deleted tirade by sharing a TikTok showcasing all of his achievements that closes with a Google search of Glasper with a voiceover asking, “Who the fuck is this?”
Well, after Twitter users gathered him all the way up, now he knows, and he’s singing he’s sorry.
You can see more reactions to Chris Brown being BIG MAD in the gallery below.
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Photo: Scott Dudelson / Getty
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