Robert Glasper

Erykah Badu, Stevie Wonder, Bilal, Hiatus Kiyote, John Scofield and others help boundary-crossing jazz pianist Robert Glasper reimagine the music of Miles Davis.

"Everything's Beautiful" isn't quite a tribute or a remix project. It's not a collaboration between Miles Davis and Robert Glasper, as it is billed. On the surface, from a stylistic standpoint and in terms of personnel, it is closer to a sequel to Black Radio Recovered.

Predominantly relaxed and rather ethereal, richly layered yet not quite psychedelic and rhythmically hip-hop more than anything else, the two releases feature much of the same production and vocal lineup Glasper and his confreres have used Davis' inspiration to craft a moving and misterioso assemblage that, true-to-the-living Davis, refuses any scent of museum. The off the beaten path song and singer-rapper selections sidestep the typical kid gloves treatment most jazz cats lay on Miles' material and the skin graft with beats-the-kids like to approach of other jazz-meets-hip-hop ventures.

Considering the disparate source material and the quantity of vocalists, instrumentalists, and producers involved, it's remarkable how smoothly the album flows from one track to the next. Unsurprisingly, it's most appealing to fans of Glasper and artists involved in the project. As the keyboardist states in the liner notes, "To me, the best way to show gratitude is to show how you've been inspired by someone: 'Hey man, I wrote this song because of you!' Not, 'Hey, I'm playing your tune.'"

TRACKS:

01. Talking Shit [Explicit]
02. Ghetto Walkin'
03. They Can't Hold Me Down
04. Maiysha (So Long)
05. Violets
06. Little Church (Remix)
07. Silence Is the Way
08. Song for Selim
09. Milestones (Remix)
10. I'm Leaving You
11. Right On Brotha