Robert Glasper in London

Robert Glasper is an American pianist, composer and producer, born in Houston in 1978. He plays jazz shaped by hip-hop, R&B and neo-soul, both under his own name and with the Robert Glasper Experiment. The album Black Radio won a Grammy, while Black Radio 2, Covered and Everything’s Beautiful further established his collaborative approach. Robert Glasper’s recurring Robtober residency at New York’s Blue Note Jazz Club features multiweek runs, changing ensembles and guest vocalists, rappers and instrumentalists. He has also performed at Newport Jazz Festival in the United States and North Sea Jazz Festival in Rotterdam.

Common is an American rapper, actor and writer born in Chicago in 1972. He first recorded as Common Sense and became known for reflective, jazz- and soul-rooted hip-hop through albums including Resurrection, Like Water for Chocolate and Be. His best-known songs include “I Used to Love H.E.R.,” “The Light” and “Glory,” his collaboration with John Legend. At the 2004 block party organized by Dave Chappelle in Brooklyn, Common performed in a lineup that included Erykah Badu, The Roots and Kanye West. In 2016, he presented an NPR Tiny Desk Concert at the White House, accompanied by musicians including Robert Glasper and Karriem Riggins.