Artscience CD

Early on Artscience, jazz fusionist Robert Glasper takes to the microphone to pointedly ask why he should confine himself to one style. Fittingly, he uses the rest of this third Robert Glasper Experience album to gleefully mangle, fuse, mix-up and move between genres at will. While jazz, modern soul and hip-hop remain his most explored influences - and you'll find plenty of each throughout - Artscience also includes riffs on '80s boogie, Herbie Hancock style jazz-funk, rock-tinged soul-jazz, and the kind of sumptuous, musically expressive slow jams that mark out the best soul sets. As a result, it's a hugely vibrant and entertaining album that revels in its far-sighted, wide-ranging approach.