This American pianist was raised in Houston. His mother, a pianist herself, was also a gospel singer. After studying music in New York, Glasper made his recording debut in 2004 on a small independent label. Before long, he was snapped up by Blue Note, which released the album Canvas in 2005. As well as belie a surprising harmonic complexity, his warm music also reveals a hip-hop influence. In various capacities, the pianist has collaborated with a number of hip-hop artists, including Mos Def, Talib Kweli, Jay-Z and Erykah Badu. Double Booked came out in 2009. Follow-up Black Radio was slated for a February 2012 release.