Robert Glasper - Code Derivation [2LP]

Every idea gets two lives on Code Derivation, a Robert Glasper double LP where most tracks arrive twice, first as a live studio performance and then flipped by a producer he trusts.

The Houston-born pianist has spent two decades blurring the lines between jazz, hip-hop and R&B, most famously on the Black Radio records. Here, first released in 2024, he turns that idea inside out. A band featuring saxophonist Walter Smith III, guitarist Mike Moreno, drummer Kendrick Scott, bassist Vicente Archer and trumpeter Keyon Harrold plays it straight, Marcus Strickland drops in, and then the beatmakers take over.

"Madiba" is a highlight in both forms, its original giving way to a Hi-Tek flip with Oswin Benjamin on the mic. "Rm 112" gets reshaped by Karriem Riggins, "AJ's Vibe" picks up some grit from Black Milk, and Taylor McFerrin both features on and flips "Waiting on Arrival". Riley Glasper and MMYYKK round out the cast of producers.

The result is part jazz session and part beat tape, a clever study in how the same musical idea can mutate depending on who is holding it.

For fans of Glasper's crossover side, or anyone who loves a loop dug out of live playing, this one rewards close and repeated listening.