Derrick Hodge brings jazz and urban hip hop together in a vein similar to Robert Glasper on this album with a new band consisting of keyboardists Jahari Stampley-Michael Aaberg, drummers Mike Mitchell-Justin Tyson, and DJ Jahi Sundance on the turntables, with the leader bringing in bass, keys, guitar and voice.
You get some soulful bass lines and rappy voices that lead up to dramatic climaxes on “The Cost” with the title piece mixing voice, effects and dramatically busy drums galloping to an avalanche of pulsations. “Ooohing” voices add pretty soul to piano and keys on “19” and romantic tones permeate “Heartbeats”. You even get some folksy guitar along with synthetic soul on “New Day” and piano effects on a moody and dark “Looking At You.” There are two takes of “You Could Have Stayed”; one with bowed bass and pretty voice with the memorable theme sounding even more impressive with Stampley alone at the ivories. Lots of urban attitudes, but they always contribute to the main river of jazz in terms of improv and groove.