Blue Note, 2005

On his acclaimed 2005 Blue Note debut, Canvas, pianist and composer Robert Glasper proves he has jazz chops in abundance with his acoustic trio featuring bassist Vicente Archer and drummer Damion Reid. A hip-hop sub-context lies just beneath the surface in the album’s skittering beats, hinting at future directions on albums like 2012’s GRAMMY-winning “Black Radio.” The album features special guests Mark Turner on tenor saxophone plus vocalist Bilal, and presents Glasper’s signature sound on nine original tunes as well as a nod to one of his biggest influences with a version of Herbie Hancock’s “Riot.”