Robert Glasper has announced his fifth annual “Robtober” residency at NYC’s Blue Note Jazz Club, going down from October 4 to November 5, including runs with Norah Jones, Yasiin Bey (fka Mos Def), Yebba, his Dinner Party band (with Terrace Martin and Kamasi Washington), and more. Tickets for all shows are on sale now. Full schedule below.
“If you can stand playing in the same place for a month, it’s great, and I can, because I change it up so much and I have so many different bands, guests, and situations, so I don’t get bored,” Robert said in an interview with SPIN. “I never know who is going to pop up on me, which keeps me on my toes. Because it’s in New York, I know within the month people will be coming in and out. Someone will hit me up and be like, ‘I just flew in to do an interview. Are you in New York doing Robtober? I’ll come through.’ That always makes it interesting. Another cool thing about it is that so many people from all over the world literally flew in. There was a family that flew in from Alaska just to see two shows — a husband, wife, and four kids.”
About the varying themes of his shows, he said, “I started thinking, ‘OK, what kind of configurations do I want to do? What guests do I want to feature in a way so that people will know they’re coming? Who can handle being at the Blue Note, which is a jazz club and small?’ I do two sets a night, and certain artists you’re not going to ask to do that. I have that in my mind: who do I know that I rock with artistically and are OK with doing two sets at a jazz club? That’s a different kind of monster.”
Here’s this year’s full schedule:
EPISODE ONE: THE ORGINIAL TRIO: TRIBUTE TO PIANO GIANTS
October 4—The Original Trio: Tribute to Piano Giants—Blue Note Jazz Club, NYC
October 5—The Original Trio: Tribute to Piano Giants—Blue Note Jazz Club, NYC
EPISODE TWO: YEBBA
October 6—Robert Glasper x Yebba—Blue Note Jazz Club, NYC
October 7—Robert Glasper x Yebba—Blue Note Jazz Club, NYC
October 8—Robert Glasper x Yebba—Blue Note Jazz Club, NYC
EPISODE THREE: NORAH JONES
October 11—Robert Glasper x Norah Jones—Blue Note Jazz Club, NYC
October 12—Robert Glasper x Norah Jones—Blue Note Jazz Club, NYC
October 13—Robert Glasper x Norah Jones—Blue Note Jazz Club, NYC
October 14—Robert Glasper x Norah Jones—Blue Note Jazz Club, NYC
October 15—Robert Glasper x Norah Jones—Blue Note Jazz Club, NYC
EPISODE FOUR: AMBER NAVRAN (MOONCHILD)
October 18—Robert Glasper x Amber Navran (of Moonchild)—Blue Note Jazz Club, NYC
October 19—Robert Glasper x Amber Navran (of Moonchild)—Blue Note Jazz Club, NYC
EPISODE FIVE: DINNER PARTY FEAT. TERRACE MARTIN & KAMASI WASHINGTON
October 20—Dinner Party feat. Terrace Martin and Kamasi Washington
—Blue Note Jazz Club, NYC
October 21—Dinner Party feat. Terrace Martin and Kamasi Washington
—Blue Note Jazz Club, NYC
October 22—Dinner Party feat. Terrace Martin and Kamasi Washington
—Blue Note Jazz Club, NYC
EPISODE SIX: TRIBUTE TO ART BLAKEY & THE JAZZ MESSENGERS
October 25—Tribute to Art Blakey & the Jazz Messengers—Blue Note Jazz Club, NYC
October 26—Tribute to Art Blakey & the Jazz Messengers—Blue Note Jazz Club, NYC
EPISODE SEVEN: D SMOKE
October 27—Robert Glasper x D Smoke—Blue Note Jazz Club, NYC
October 28—Robert Glasper x D Smoke—Blue Note Jazz Club, NYC
October 29—Robert Glasper x D Smoke—Blue Note Jazz Club, NYC
EPISODE EIGHT: YASIIN BEY
November 1—Robert Glasper x yasiin bey feat. Chris Dave, Derrick Hodge
and DJ Jahi Sundance—Blue Note Jazz Club, NYC
November 2—Robert Glasper x yasiin bey feat. Chris Dave, Derrick Hodge
and DJ Jahi Sundance—Blue Note Jazz Club, NYC
November 3—Robert Glasper x yasiin bey feat. Chris Dave, Derrick Hodge
and DJ Jahi Sundance—Blue Note Jazz Club, NYC
November 4—Robert Glasper x yasiin bey feat. Chris Dave, Derrick Hodge
and DJ Jahi Sundance—Blue Note Jazz Club, NYC
November 5—Robert Glasper x yasiin bey feat. Chris Dave, Derrick Hodge
and DJ Jahi Sundance—Blue Note Jazz Club, NYC