Description
R+R=NOW – Live – Double Vinyl Record
R+R=NOW’s Live album, released on February 12, 2021, is a stunning document of a group of contemporary jazz visionaries channeling spontaneous creativity, social consciousness, and genre-defying musicianship into a visceral live performance. R+R=NOW—which stands for “Reflect + Respond = NOW”—is more than just a supergroup. It’s a collective of forward-thinking artists led by pianist and producer Robert Glasper, featuring Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah (trumpet), Terrace Martin (saxophone/vocoder), Taylor McFerrin (synths), Derrick Hodge (bass), and Justin Tyson (drums). Together, they fuse jazz, R&B, hip-hop, and electronic music into a form that is at once deeply rooted in Black musical tradition and fiercely future-focused.
This live album was recorded during a residency at the Blue Note Jazz Club in New York City in 2018, shortly after the release of their studio debut Collagically Speaking. While that album was a carefully curated statement blending spoken word, studio layering, and social commentary, Live captures the group in a freer, rawer, more experimental mode, where improvisation reigns and the boundaries between genres dissolve completely.
From the first notes, you feel the chemistry and trust among the musicians. Tracks like “Change of Tone” and “Respond” stretch out well beyond their studio lengths, becoming expansive sonic journeys. Robert Glasper’s chord voicings and Rhodes textures provide a harmonic bed that constantly shifts and surprises, while Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah’s trumpet—processed through pedals and effects—soars, cries, and bends through the air like a voice from another world.
Terrace Martin’s use of vocoder adds a neo-soul, funk-inflected layer of warmth and commentary, serving both as an instrumental texture and a vehicle for lyrical fragments that reflect on identity, struggle, and urgency. Meanwhile, Taylor McFerrin’s synth work provides ambient swirls and cosmic counterpoints that make the music feel otherworldly. Justin Tyson’s drumming is frenetic yet intentional, guiding the energy like a tidal force, while Derrick Hodge anchors everything with a sense of groove and emotional grounding.
What makes Live so compelling is not just the technical virtuosity on display—though every member is a master—but the collective ethos of the project. R+R=NOW exists to reflect the times and respond through music, echoing Nina Simone’s maxim that “an artist’s duty is to reflect the times in which we live.” These performances, though largely instrumental, feel charged with social tension, political urgency, and a deep sense of resilience and defiance.
The live format lets the music breathe in new ways. There are moments of space, tension, and abstraction—long builds and climactic peaks that could never be replicated in a studio. Yet there’s also groove, soul, and moments of sublime beauty. It’s jazz in the truest sense: conversational, evolving, rooted in Black expression, and unafraid to speak the present moment through improvisation.
R+R=NOW Live has been praised for capturing a rare energy in today’s jazz scene—bridging genre fluidity with social commentary and virtuosity with accessibility. It’s a perfect gateway for listeners coming from hip-hop, R&B, or electronic music who want to explore modern jazz without stepping into rigid or traditionalist territory.
Live is not just a concert recording—it’s a communal experience, a statement of presence, and a reminder that jazz, at its best, is not about perfection but about truth, reflection, and movement. It’s music for the mind, body, and spirit, and it stands as one of the most electrifying live documents of modern jazz in the 21st century.
Brand new, never played and still in the factory plastic sealed
Track Listing
Respond
Been On My Mind
How Much A Dollar Cost
Change Of Tone
BPerspectives / Postpartum
Needed You Still Featuring – Omari Hardwick
Resting Warrior
