Robert Glasper Drops New Christmas Album ‘In December’ With Jazzed Up Holiday Classics

variety.com:

Ethan Shanfeld Robert Glasper is bringing the Christmas spirit early this year with a gift for Apple Music subscribers: a brand-new album featuring the jazz and R&B star’s spin on holiday classics including “Joy to the World” and “Little Drummer Boy.” The seven-track album, titled “In December,” is available to stream now.

It includes three brand new songs — “Make It Home,” “Memories With Mama” and “December” — and features guest artists including Alex Isley, Andra Day, Cynthia Erivo, PJ Morton and Sevyn Streeter, Carol of the Bells, Tarriona Ball and the Baylor Project.

The vibe of “In December” is comparable to Glasper’s “Black Radio” series, which is neither traditional nor straight-up jazz. “I like covering songs that people know well, that’s what I’ve done throughout my whole career,” Glasper said in a statement. “It was fun remaking these tunes.

The intention for this album was less about Christmas songs and more about songs that feel good during the holidays. I stayed away from thinking too much about Christmas and its traditional lingo and concentrated on real things people go through during the holiday season.” In that spirit, the original song “Make It Home” focuses on “real-life situations instead of the glossy, happy stories that are painted during Christmas time,” according to Glasper.