Vinyl Record

Robert Glasper - Black Radio III

Robert Glasper – Black Radio III (2LP): jazz, neo-soul and hip-hop crossroads on vinyl. Pick up a copy at Kilmorna, near Listowel.

2LP · 2022

Available from Kilmorna Collection in Listowel.

Buyer notes: 2022 2LP, currently available from the Kilmorna Collection vinyl shelf. Pay for pickup in Listowel or ship within Ireland for EUR 5.50.

Robert Glasper’s Black Radio III continues his mission of putting jazz musicianship in direct conversation with modern R&B and hip-hop. Built around his elastic keys, deep-pocket rhythm sections and a producer’s sense of space, the album moves like a late-night radio dial: hooks, harmony and beat science all sharing the same room. Across the set, Glasper leans into collaboration as a creative engine rather than a feature checklist. The songwriting stays front-and-centre, with grooves that land immediately but leave plenty of detail for repeat listens—little chord turns, voicing choices, and those signature shifts where a straight soul ballad suddenly opens into something more expansive. On vinyl it plays as a cohesive journey: bright, contemporary, and emotionally direct, but with the craft and dynamics that jazz heads listen for. If you like your records where the musicians are clearly listening to each other—and the bassline still makes you move—this is right in the pocket.

Black Radio III sits at the modern crossroads where jazz stops being a museum piece and becomes everyday music again—connected to soul, rap and pop without losing its harmonic depth. It’s a statement that virtuosity can still be mainstream when the songs and feel are right.

This is the 2LP vinyl edition, which suits the album’s wide dynamic range and layered production—more room for the low end and less crowding per side. Ideal if you want the full “album flow” experience rather than a playlist skim. Great shelf mate to the earlier Black Radio releases for collectors following the series arc.

Warm keys up front, rounded bass, crisp but not brittle highs, and plenty of pocket. Expect modern studio polish with jazz dynamics—tight drums, spacious mixes, and choruses that bloom.

Is this a jazz record or an R&B record? Both. It’s jazz musicianship and harmony built into modern R&B/hip-hop songwriting and production—designed to work as an album, not just a genre label. What’s the vinyl format here? 2LP. That spread helps the album breathe, especially with bass-heavy grooves and layered vocals. If I liked Black Radio and Black Radio II, will this land for me? Yes—Black Radio III keeps the collaborative, cross-genre spirit, with a contemporary sheen and plenty of Glasper’s signature chord language.