Keyboardist Robert Glasper may have the most extensive cellphone contacts of any musician. He’s worked with everyone from Kendrick Lamar and Wayne Shorter to Christina Aguilera and H.E.R.
Imagine Glasper recruiting for his overdue return to Minneapolis this weekend.
Stokley Williams lives in the Twin Cities. He’s on Glasper’s 2012 Grammy-winning record, “Black Radio.” He’ll get a call.
When Glasper phoned a couple of weeks ago from Miami, he was about to co-host the annual Blue Note at Sea jazz cruise in the Caribbean. Singer José James, a Minneapolis native scheduled for the cruise, will get an invite. Glasper wrote material for James’ 2012 album.
How about former Glasper bandmate Taylor McFerrin, who went to high school in the Twin Cities? Minneapolis drummer extraordinaire Dave King of the Bad Plus is always willing to sit in if he’s around. And Ice Cube, the rapper-turned-actor, will be performing in the area the same weekend.
That’s the thing with Glasper — there are no musical boundaries, no rehearsals necessary. He just plays with whoever shows up, whether he invited them or not.
“Jump up, go with the moment, jam out. See what happens,” said Glasper, who last performed in Minneapolis in 2015 at Walker Art Center with jazz keyboardist Jason Moran.
For his three-night, six-show engagement at the Dakota this weekend, Glasper will be accompanied by drummer Justin Tyson, bassist Burniss Travis and turntablist Jahi Sundance — and whoever else shows up.