Honest modern music is an organic product of its time, a frank reflection of the world out of which it grew. In pianist Robert Glasper’s performance this past Thursday, March 8, at the ’Sco, the sound of now resonated in every corner of the room. The first song of the evening met a house packed with Oberlin students and non-students alike, filling the space in eager anticipation. As saxophonist and vocalist Casey Benjamin began the set with a cascade of solo vocal lines, each note was instantly transformed into a harrowing electronic timbre via a voice-encoding synthesizer. The meditative intro unfolded with the rest of the band silent. As Benjamin proceeded to state the main theme from John Coltrane’s landmark composition “A Love Supreme,” the crowd vocalized a wash of affirmation.

One by one the members of Glasper’s quartet entered, slowly and reflectively developing the familiar theme into a controlled and impeccably flowing hip-hop groove. The song traveled into a new space, driven by bassist Derrick Hodge’s gigantic sound. As the band settled into an ebbing pulse reminiscent of J Dilla, the sonic attitude began to heighten in intensity.

With this new feel came one of the many clever thematic superimpositions enacted throughout the evening. After a brief pause that allowed the feeling to settle, Benjamin tastefully laid out a few bars to the melody of “Open Your Eyes” by R&B great Bobby Caldwell. Recently given renewed popularity by neo-soul artist Dwele on his 2008 album Sketches of a Man, the song was originally set in a major key. Glasper and his band tastefully superimposed the original melody in a different, non-major harmonic context, bringing forth an entirely new feeling. A chorus of audience voices joined Benjamin’s upon recognition of the song.

The only vacillation from the smooth flow of the evening occurred due to technical issues with the onstage monitors, which were resolved after multiple consultations between Glasper and the sound engineers. Even in this intermittent period, the band continued laying down its infectious beat.

Falling naturally into a duet configuration of bass and drums while the bandleader rectified sound issues, drummer Mark Colenburg was given a chance to shine. He pulled on the space within the groove as if it were an endless rubber band. The unfaltering crack of his snare brought the space between the beats into a current of rhythm that was undeniable in its ability to inspire movement in all who were listening. Notable were Colenburg’s virtuosic blend of the rapid-fire chops found in the drummers of modern gospel music, his treatment of the beat born of hip-hop aesthetics and an ear for form and phrasing informed by a deep knowledge of the jazz tradition.

Original compositions comprised a large part of the evening’s performance. In between soaring statements of the songs’ melodic themes, Glasper and Benjamin launched into flurries of brilliant improvisation. The saxophonist’s impeccable phrasing, blazing technical facility and huge sound presented him as an original and compelling voice on the instrument. In the April 2012 installment of DownBeat magazine, Glasper was quoted saying, “I’ve gotten bored with jazz to the point where I wouldn’t mind something bad happening. Slapping hurts, but at some point it’ll wake you up. I feel like jazz needs a big-ass slap.” His latest album, Black Radio, is a creative and dynamic project that makes great strides in the right direction. Released by Blue Note Records only a week prior to his performance at the ’Sco, the album reached number 15 in the U.S. Billboard Top 200, number 1 in jazz and number four in R&B. The project is a collaboration with a lineup of stars including Lupe Fiasco, Bilal and Erykah Badu. The vibe of the album reflects an array of influences, with wildly creative improvisations from Glasper and Benjamin peppering the thick mixture of soul, hip-hop and R&B.

With his unfaltering focus and intrepid journeys into new sonic spaces, it is no surprise that Glasper captured the hearts and minds of the audience at the ’Sco, as he does those of listeners worldwide.