No Static: Hindi Zahra

I was actually introduced to Hindi Zahra by Robert Glasper, an artist previously featured in this series (there's two posts, so it's a series now! :) ). He recorded a song with her for the French release of his album Black Radio (I think they connected because they are both Blue Note artists) - listen below:

Not having purchased the French release of the album (or any release... #poverty - thanks Spotify!), I only heard the song for the first time when I saw him in concert in Paris, where he and Hindi performed this song. She was amazing - powerful, sultry, and unique, without so many of the contrivances found in contemporary "jazz" (or whatever) vocalists. She pretty much instantaneously became my new girl crush (see all photos of her and this write up for proof that her style is as awesome as her music).

 A little more research led me to her debut album: 

...which is just lovely. Her sound isn't necessarily the most innovative, but that doesn't diminish the strength of her musicality and her immense talent. I love the mix of languages in her songs as well - somehow it sounds so natural.

This is probably her most well known song - apparently it was in a Western Union ad? :

And here's a really cool remix (and video!):

And proof she can do standards too:

Go forth and listen, and let me know if you think I can pull off her hair/style - i'm not above direct copying, but I'm just not sure I'm cool enough to work it like she does :)

No Static: The Robert Glasper Experiment

Today, the "highly anticipated" (to use unfortunate jargon) new album from the Robert Glasper Experiment, Black Radio, was released in its entirety to NPR. Stream it. Immediately.

I've been a fan of this group since summer 2010 (... almost 2 years ago. Yikes.) when the organization I was interning with, the Brooklyn Arts Council, produced a concert in conjunction with Lincoln Center Out of Doors that featured them as headliners. They were really fantastic, and different in a way that was striking but not alienating - something that I think a lot of interesting contemporary musicians struggle with. Their music is fundamentally listenable, and is only made more so by their frequent collaborations with hip-hop and R&B artists.

I saw them again in February 2011, when they were playing with Lupe Fiasco at the Blue Note (picture below). Just completely fucking awesome. Also I was approximately 2 people from the stage... I died. A little. They were playing to a tough crowd - most people were just there to see Lupe - but they were compelling enough to really focus the show. The vibe was so chill, and the music was SO good.

One of the many times I've seen them live. Yes - Lupe, Kanye, and Mos Def are also on stage.

I went to see them again in May 2011, when they did a secret show at a hotel in New York... really fun. The small size of the venue meant that the artists were just hanging out - which is when you can see just how brilliant they are. At this concert specifically, they were experimenting (har, har) and it was just interesting to see the artistic processes happening... I'm a dork. In case you couldn't tell, as I cite the zillions of concerts I've been to with this one band...

Anyway. Saw them again in October, as a part of a CMJ showcase at Le Poisson Rouge with Taylor McFerrin and Jose James. It's interesting to see the type of demographic they attract - Robert Glasper has a huge following in the jazz community (which is dominated by nerdy white guys) but the music also has enough crossover appeal that he's starting to get attention in pop circles. The copious collaborations also help with that. That being said, none of them really feel forced - rather, it sounds just like the product of a really cool musical community (slash I just want to be all of their best friends).

I'm going to see them in Paris on April 6th... I'm so excited to see how the show is different than all the American ones I've been too. The new album is really great - I've already listened to it like 3 times, and it's just... chill. The music is awesome without being aggressive - Patrick Jarenwattananon at NPR calls it "organic," which is an apt description in the sense that the whole album flows so well. However I think the danger with the word organic is that it implies a sort of naturalism, when in fact this is a highly cultivated and frankly highly produced sound (another aspect that ties it more closely to the pop world). I digress. To be frank... it would be awesome make-out music. Just saying. I digress some more.

Anyway. Listen to it! And go to see them! They're on tour right now and are going basically everywhere, so you have no excuse.