Robert Glasper Tours the Steinway Factory (Video)

You’ve certainly heard the expression “like a kid in a candy store”. But what about “like Robert Glasper at the Steinway factory”? Glasper recently earned his golden ticket to the promised land of piano makers having been named an official Steinway Artist, a slightly better deal than the one he got from Willy Wonka which he had to turn down. As a Steinway Artist, Glasper joins a roster of some of the most dynamic names in piano, including Lang Lang, Diana Krall, Jason Moran, and Harry Connick, Jr. Check out Glasper as he tours the Steinway factory, in preparation for the 2015 NYC Winter Jazzfest, below the jump.

As mentioned in the video, Glasper has recorded his next Blue Note Records opus deciding to revert to the acoustic piano trio format with acolytes Vicente Archer on bass and Damion Reid on drums. The album, titled Covered (The Robert Glasper Trio recorded live at Capitol Studios), is slated for a June 16th release.

Glasper, Archer and Reid—who form the original trio featured on Glasper’s first two Blue Note albums: Canvas (2005) and In My Element (2007)—reconvened at the legendary Capitol Studios in Hollywood, California in December to record Covered in front of an intimate live audience. The material mainly consisted of covers, drawing from some of Glasper’s favorite songs by Radiohead, Joni Mitchell, Jhené Aiko, John Legend, Kendrick Lamar, and more, as well as several Glasper originals.

The track listing for Covered (The Robert Glasper Trio recorded live at Capitol Studios) is as follows:

1. Introduction
2. I Don’t Even Care (Robert Glasper/Macy Gray/Jean Grae)
3. Reckoner (Radiohead)
4. Barangrill (Joni Mitchell)
5. In Case You Forgot (Robert Glasper)
6. So Beautiful (Musiq Soulchild)
7. The Worst (Jhené Aiko)
8. Good Morning (John Legend)
9. Stella By Starlight (Victor Young)
10. Levels (Bilal)
11. Got Over feat. Harry Belafonte (Robert Glasper/Harry Belafonte)
12. I’m Dying of Thirst (Kendrick Lamar)