The lead single “Ghetto Walk” featuring Bilal set the tone, and the full album, Everything’s Beautiful, follows with 11 Miles Davis’ tracks re-interpreted by the beautiful musical mind of Robert Glasper. Riffs, new takes, and samples of the legendary Jazz musician speaking (Columbia Records era, i.e. from 1955 to 1985) sit over loose drums and rich, warm instrumentation, and righteous vocals from Erykah Badu (“maysha (So Long)”), Phonte (“Violets”), Illa J (“They Can’t Hold Me Down”), etc. breathe new hip-hop/neo-soul-informed life to the late icon’s legacies. This is a beautiful record down to the last song, “Right on Brotha w/ Stevie Wonder (harmonica x Miles Davis trumpet!), highly recommended.

• gatefold sleeve
• music label: Blue Note 2016

reviewed by donut savage 06/2016