“Change of Tone” the debut single from R+R=NOW
The best musicians in R&B, soul, funk and jazz, were reunited together in a studio, and the result is the genre-bending new single “Change of Tone,” the debut single from the collective R+R=Now.
R+R=NOW is the newly minted Robert Glasper-helmed supergroup featuring Grammy Award-winning producer Robert Glasper on keys, music renaissance man Terrace Martin on synthesizer and vocoder, jazz composer/instrumentalist Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah on trumpet, composer/record producer Derrick Hodge on bass, DJ/producer Taylor McFerrin on synth and beatbox, and Justin Tyson on drums.
The idea for the group came together in 2017 when Glasper was asked to put together an all-star line-up for an SXSW show at Empire Control Room. That’s when everything clicked.
“There was no rehearsal and no plan. Just a quick soundcheck,” said Glasper of R+R=NOW’s Austin debut. And yet, “We were vibing, listening to each other, and coming up with stuff on the spot that was so dope, when it was time to figure out what my next album for Blue Note would be, I was like, ‘We should do this.’ I needed to take that same band and method to the studio.”
We last heard from Glasper in March when he released an album with Common and Karriem Riggins as August Greene. Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah’s The Centennial Trilogy had the number four spot for the Best Jazz Albums Of 2017 list.
Glasper said “R+R stands for ‘Reflect’ and ‘Respond’.”, That’s the meaning of the group and the project. The idea came to him via Nina Simone while he was coproducing Nina Revisited. Facing backlash for her politics, Simone was asked, more or less, why she didn’t just shut up and sing. She answered: “an artist’s duty, as far as I’m concerned, is to reflect the times.” Glasper, explained that the words of Nina influenced his decision, he added: “When you reflect what’s going on in your time and respond to that, you can’t not be relevant. So ‘R’ plus ‘R’ equals ‘NOW’.”
Each member is instrumental in the supergroup’s sound, with Glasper on piano, Martin on synthesizer and vocoder, Adjuah on trumpet, Hodge on bass, McFerrin on synth and beatbox, and Tyson on drums. Today they release the lead single off their debut album. The song is called “Change Of Tone,” the enticing lead track from their forthcoming debut album Collagically Speaking, which will be released June 15.
.@robertglasper-led supergroup R+R=NOW (@RflectRspondNOW) share the lead single from their debut album, "Change Of Tone" https://t.co/ysQDaWCqdL pic.twitter.com/XqdXw6qDW4
— Stereogum (@stereogum) 4 de mayo de 2018
Collagically Speaking is composed by single-take songs, written live in the room, that go wherever this formidable crew’s mood goes. It’s a powerful introduction to the band, highlighting each members’ skill and spirit.Omari Hardwick, Terry Crews, Amanda Seales, MCs Stalley and yasiin bey, Amber Navran and Goapele are the Guest voices to get caught in that mix in themes of romantic love, universal love, quiet power, wild creativity, personal loss and growth.
The single “Change Of Tone” s a hybrid encompassing hip-hop, R&B, jazz, soul, funk. Begins with a modern wiggle and a seamless transition through free jazz and into full-fledged R&B. Each member is heard throughout the enticing, mood-setting track. Special guest Goapele adds her smooth, velvety vocals on the debut single, taking the song to another level.
The best musicians in R&B, soul, funk and jazz, were reunited together in a studio, and the result is the genre-bending new single “Change of Tone,” the debut single from the collective R+R=Now.
